Students Released Early Wednesday for Teacher Training

Students will be released early tomorrow from Danvers Public Schools for staff professional development.

At the high school and middle school, students will be dismissed at 12:45 p.m. while elementary students are dismissed at 1:15 p.m. Afternoon preschool will still be held and students will be released at 2:10 p.m.

Teachers at the elementary and high school levels will be participating in workshops on data-driven analysis, while 80 faculty members at the undergo training for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which the district has already implemented at the elementary level.

Superintendent of Schools Lisa Dana said the anti-bullying training is the next step in phasing the prevention plan into the middle school. Much of the training focuses on properly reporting and following up on cases of bullying to fully comply with new anti-bullying legislation.

The workshop will be led by 10 teachers, guidance staff and administrators who received their own training from a consultant hired by the district.

Dr. Robin D'Antona, a North Shore educator with a long history in bullying prevention, was hired by the district to help assess its needs and incorporate appropriate strategies. D'Antona is a founding board member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Inc.