Roseville, CA…Foothills Rising is committed to organizing for the common good and collaboratively, building communities of trust and solidarity. The safety of our children is a primary concern. When we send them to school, we expect them to be safe and well-cared-for. Recent events have drawn into question our once unshakeable trust in our schools as a safe and secure place for our children. In an effort to restore our community’s trust in the safety of our schools, we offer the following measures:

Red Flag Laws
California is one of the few states in the union that allows a court to temporarily remove weapons at the request of family members or law enforcement when they threaten the safety of others. Such reports of dangerous behavior have prevented many possible threats. You can be part of the solution by notifying school personnel and/or law enforcement about worrisome behavior, whether you are a student, parent, or concerned member of the community.

Plans and Training
Ask the school district about their plan to handle violent emergencies. ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate), or similar training drills teachers and staff on what to do in a violent emergency. When a teacher is confident in the procedures, it translates to the students. All feel empowered to keep safe.

Be expressive
1.Express yourself. Are you upset? Write to your local legislators to support your views.
2.Inform yourself and vote.
3.Connect with others in the community who support the nonviolent expression of views.

Ideas for Students
The Foothills have a strong sense of community. We need to build upon that to include ALL students:
1.Make a friend. Get to know someone you don’t know.
2.Often people who commit violent crimes begin by bullying, the repeated harassment of someonewho is seen as weaker physically or socially. When you see bullying, make the choice to be a“helpful” bystander. If it feels safe, intervene. If it doesn’t, go tell a trusted adult.
3.Bullying happens on social media too. Avoid name calling and aggressive arguments online. Callout people who support that behavior.
4.Pre-register to vote – 16 and 17 yr olds can sign up now and immediately become registered whenthey reach 18.
Deborah Pulskamp – Public school teacher – 23 years Foothills Rising Community Solidarity Committee Convener For more information, contact Amber Hoiska, foothillsrising@gmail.com, foothillsrising.orgend