Paris Independent School District is proud to announce the launch of its new “See Something, Say Something” safety awareness initiative, a program designed to encourage students and staff to report concerning behavior and help keep campuses safe.
The initiative is being introduced by Paris ISD Assistant Police Chief Adriain “Ace” Pruitt and Paris High School counselor Sommer Dear, who have been working to strengthen safety awareness and communication throughout the district.
The program is part of the Sandy Hook Promise “Say Something” movement, a national violence-prevention initiative created following the 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Sandy Hook Promise was founded by family members of victims with the mission of educating and empowering students and adults to recognize warning signs of potential violence and speak up to prevent harm.
The “Say Something” program teaches students to recognize warning signs that a classmate may be in crisis or planning to harm themselves or others and to report those concerns to a trusted adult so help can be provided quickly.
To kick off the initiative, Paris High School students recently participated in a “See Something, Say Something” Poster Contest, using their creativity and digital media skills to help spread the message across campus.
Digital Media Winners
· 1st Place: T’atrice Wortham and Jade
Dangerfield
· 2nd Place: Anahi Aguilar, Blayke Snowton, Christian Gonzalez, Brian Moreno
· 3rd Place: Caroline Gillem, Raegan Biggers, and Ingrid Aguero
Original Art Winners
· 1st Place: Aubrey Boettcher and Summer Blanding
· 2nd Place: Georgia Johnson and Shawndrell Greer
· 3rd Place: Ana’tazia Adams-Thomas
The winning designs will help promote the program and encourage students to be aware of their surroundings and report concerns to trusted adults or school officials.
As part of the district’s continued commitment to school safety, Paris ISD will also release a video later this week featuring district police officers explaining the SRP (Safety Response Protocol). The video will help families and community members better understand the district’s safety response system and what to do during different types of emergencies.
Through programs like “See Something, Say Something,” Paris ISD continues to reinforce the importance of awareness, communication, and shared responsibility in keeping schools safe for every student.
