Phoenixville Area Middle School

PASD is committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of all students.  To this end, we have various options in place to assist students, parents, and community members in reporting concerning events or behaviors they experience, encounter, or possibly see on social media.  All options encourage students, parents, and community members to “say something” to keep each other safe.

1. Bullying Prevention Team (Middle School)

Bullying prevention and reporting safety concerns at PAMS.
Please use the link above to report bullying concerns that may have taken place at PAMS. Remember, bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending themself.  This form will be directed to BPT and the issue will be resolved.

2. Tier 2 Supports Request (Middle School)

At Phoenixville Area Middle School, as part of our PBIS, we implement Tier 2 interventions to provide targeted support for students who may need additional assistance beyond our universal strategies. These interventions focus on improving social skills, self-management, emotional regulation, and behavioral concerns. The interventions can take the form of a check in check out program where students are assigned a mentor to meet with each morning and afternoon. Throughout the day, students work towards daily goals tied to our RISE matrix. We also offer student groups that are run by our mental health specialists. These groups focus on things like emotional regulation, conflict resolution, self-esteem, and more. Anyone (students, parents, teachers) can request Tier 2 interventions for themselves or others. To request Tier 2 supports, please fill out this form. 

2. Stop Bullying Hotline

PASD has established a "stop bullying hotline."  Send an email or call district administrators to report an incident.  Please call 484-927-5015 or email [email protected]

3. Safe2Say

Under the support of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, PASD has implemented the Safe2Say program. Click Safe2Say Something (S2SS) to send a message.

What is Safe2Say Something?
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.  The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something”. 

Here is how it works:
• Submit an anonymous tip report through the Safe2SaySomething system
• Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
• Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
• If needed, crisis center may contact tipster anonymously through the app

For more information and to report a tip visit the S2Ss website.

4. Threat Assessment Team – Supporting students in crisis

Each school has a Threat Assessment Team.  These teams are a part of the Act 18 legislation.  Act 18 requires each school and district in the Commonwealth to have a team of professionals who will follow the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (C-STAG) when assessing threats, personal or towards others. C-STAG is an approach to violence prevention that emphasizes early attention to problems such as bullying, teasing, and other forms of student conflict before they escalate into violent behavior.

A five-step decision process is followed:  In brief, the first two steps are a triage process in which team members investigate a reported threat and determine whether the threat can be readily resolved as a transient threat that is not a serious threat. Examples of transient threats are jokes or statements made in anger that are expressions of feeling or figures of speech rather than expressions of a genuine intent to harm someone.

Any threat that cannot be clearly identified and resolved as transient is treated as a substantive threat. Substantive threats always require protective action to prevent the threat from being carried out. The remaining three steps guide the team through more extensive assessment and response based on the seriousness of the threat. If the threat is determined to be substantive, both a law enforcement investigation and a mental health assessment of the student will be conducted.  The culmination of the threat assessment is the development of a safety plan that is designed to address the problem or conflict underlying the threat and prevent the act of violence from taking place. For both transient and substantive threats, there is an emphasis on helping students to resolve conflicts and minimizing the use of zero-tolerance suspensions as a disciplinary response.

The Threat Assessment Team is used in conjunction with our Stop Bullying and Safe2Say programs.  Members of the school threat assessment team include:

• Building Principal
• School Counselor
• Student Support Counselor
• Teacher(s)
• Behavior Interventionist 
• School Psychologist

Anyone can and should report possible threats to the school principal or the Executive Director of Schools, Dr. Garritano.
• Email [email protected]
• Phone 484-927-5039