Mills Middle School in Rancho Cordova recently received brand new award for its Anti-Bullying Program. Selected from among a large pool of California schools, Mills was one of two schools to be granted the coveted “Premier” award and a $1500 donation from the Lozano Smith Foundation.

“We were very excited for Mills. They truly have a year round program,” said Derek Morrison, the Director of Client Services for the Lozano Smith Foundation (LSF). The Anti-Bullying Award is a new innovation for LSF, which stays in touch with hundreds of schools across California. “We see the good work they do every day,” Morrison continued. The monies awarded are intended to encourage schools to keep up the good work by expanding programs and reaching more students.

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) couldn’t be more pleased at the accolade. “Folsom Cordova is immensely proud of Mills Middle School for earning this recognition: Only six districts in the state received this honor, and Mills was the top recipient,” according to Daniel Thigpen, Director of Communication and Community Engagement for FCUSD.

“What Mills – and so many of our other schools recognize – is that it takes year-round, ongoing effort and multiple approaches to make a real impact on school climate and culture. That means engaging all stakeholders – students, families, staff members, community partners, and mental health professionals – and using evidence-based practices. While there is always more work to do, we are thrilled that Mills has been highlighted for its progress,” said Thigpen.

The FCUSD tally shows that the Mills Anti-Bullying Program is generating some impressive results, such as promoting a safe learning environment, drastically cut the number of bullying incidents and reducing suspensions by half.

The Mills Program consists in part by the “creation of a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team, which consists of teachers, administrators, parents, and a student leader. This group is tasked with leading evidence-based strategies to create a positive school climate and take a proactive approach to discipline and bullying prevention,” according to the FCUSD.

Among the school’s other initiatives:

• Point Break workshops encourage students to develop character, confidence, and responsibility. Point Break addresses core relational issues and challenges young people face daily.
• Mills Bills: students can use these “dollars” - earned by positive behavior - at the student store.
• Boys to Men: This program works with boys who may have a challenging home environment by providing support, mentoring, field trips, and positive role models. Students learn skills to be successful in all areas, develop character and reach goals.
• All staff members have been trained to identify symptoms of mental health problems and strategies to support students. Students facing mental health challenges are more likely to be targets of bullying.
• Young Women of Mills: staff meets weekly with girls who have reached out with feelings of depression or thoughts of suicide.

The Mills Program is only two years old, but impressive for “truly inspiring work that your school leaders and students have clearly shown,” commented the Lozano Smith Foundation to the school.

The LSF focuses its resources on its core mission points by supporting California community education partners: Student Achievement, Leadership & Mentoring, Professional Development and Community Engagement.

According to Morrison, “The Foundation is committed to providing financial support to education-based associations and K-14 school districts, assisting educators with greater access to training programs, helping close the education achievement gap among various student populations and creating partnerships in communities throughout California.”

The Lozano Smith Foundation, states on their website that it “believes that all children should have the opportunity to reach their full potential and that diverse and engaged societies together with effective leaders enhance the quality of life and well-being of all people in their communities.

We are committed to supporting the visionary leaders and organizations that share these same goals. We believe that the best way to achieve these goals is to empower education and public sector leaders, and those they represent, to overcome the complex hurdles that prevent them from accomplishing the goals we – as a community – rely on them to achieve.”