Oak Grove HS explain R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Part of the deal PMF makes with every participating school is that they file a report on what happened with the money we helped raise.

Oak Grove High School of Shoreview, MN provided one of the richest “outcome reports” of the year. Here are some stories from the school year, plus some student comments:

• A sophomore girl was getting picked on by several students. Oak Grove staff separated the students, and talked with each of them in a problem-solving process. Eventually, their parents were invited to take part in a larger conflict resolution forum. The girl's parents thanked the school for their responsiveness and professionalism.

• A freshman boy who suffers from various mood and learning problems was being harassed by kids who thought he was “slow.” As can happen, he sometimes engaged in bullying behaviors himself. The boy's mother wrote to thank the school for the way they intervened, showing “consistency, fairness, and compassion.” Through the conflict resolution process the boy learned not just to deal better with others, but to ease off on his own negative behaviors.

• Another parent thanked Oak Grove for getting involved in an ongoing battle between their son and another boy. The parents worried that if their son, 18, retaliated, he might go to jail. An anger management class helped the boy get his footing, and defused the bullying situation.

Several students had observations about the importance of respect, for oneself and for others:

“Respect shows people you care about others.” – Andy, 12th grade

“Without respect, the world is a crude place.” – Luis, 10th grade

“Respect makes places feel safe.” – Sophia, 9th grade