Framingham Middle School Institutes Bell Systems To Deal With Increased Violence

After several violent incidents at Fuller Middle School in the past two weeks, school administration is taking steps to make students safer.

Fuller Middle Principal Sharon Seyller told parents in an email that “the safety of our students is our number one priority.”

The email came after Framingham Patch published a report that one students was assaulted and hospitalized and a second student brought a BB gun to school, which was retrieved from his locker.

Thursday, Seyller sent a second email to parents to detail the steps administration has take to make students safer.

“A bell system was instituted at Fuller,” explained Seyller. “The bell rings at the end of class, and then three minutes later, another bell rings indicating the start of the next class period. This provides a structure that allows us to control the flow of traffic of students during passing time. It also gives a clear signal to every adult in the building, including me, that this is the time to be visible in the hallways, actively supervising students for a safe and calm passing time. In the short time that we have implemented this, there has been a marked difference and improvement with student behavior in the less structure areas. Prior to the bell system being implemented, classes changed when each teacher dismissed students verbally.”

School administration has also Increased “staff and administrative presence” during “arrival and dismissal times, as well as lunches.”

After several fights at the 7th grade level, students were surveyed at the school on how safe they feel. The following week, sixth and grade 8 students were surveyed.

Staffers at Fuller Middle School forwarded the final results of the survey to Framingham Patch.

• Less than 10 percent of the students feel “extremely safe”
• 10 percent of students do not feel safe at all.
• 10 percent of students feel “slightly” safe
• Just over 30 percent of stuents feel “very safe”
• But the majority of students, 45 percent only feel “moderately safe.”

There are about 450 students at the grade 6-7-8 middle school. If 10 percent of the students ”do not feel safe at all,” that is about 45 students.

Seyller will hold a forum on January 6, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the school library for parents. At that time she plans to details more of her plan to “support a safe learning climate at Fuller Middle.”

Last Friday, Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott said “We understand we do on occasion get incidents at schools. These incidents are isolated, but have occurred during a short period of time. It does not indicate an epidemic of violence.”

He said the public school district would “increase vigilence and support to make sure students are safe.”

“We also know that if a student does not feel safe in school, then they are not going to learn,” wrote the principal and vice principal in an email to parents on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Scott agreed if a student feels “unsafe” it makes it more difficult for a student to learn.

“We want all students to feel safe,” said Scott. “It is for that reason, we will help students work through emotional issues and relationship stresses that may be coming to school.”

In the Dec. 7th email, school administration informed parents there have been ”events of physical aggression between students” at Fuller Middle School, including a fight in the school’s cafeteria.

Teachers and staff told Framingham Patch last week more than a dozen students have been suspended in the last two weeks. And one student threatened a teacher.