Do Students Feel Safe In School?

Everyone has different opinions about how safe they feel in the school. Some students and administration say yes and others say no. Majority of them said they do not feel safe at Dobie Junior High.It is important to understand how they feel so this can become a safe environment for everyone to enjoy.

Ram Hernandez is a police officer that works here at Dobie. He says that he does  feel safe in the school. Hernandez said, “I don’t like saying one school is safer than the other.” He also said, “I would never want to see anything happen to you guys.”

Hernandez said that if the students and administration make a connection that is one way to make the school safer. Hernandez also said when you go home you would have that sense of community and having that here would be beneficial. “All of the administrators just want you to achieve,” Hernandez added on.

Trinity Bohne is an 8th grader here at Dobie. She has a different opinion and says she doesn’t feel safe in this school. “I feel like people are going to run into me.” She also stated, “The lunches are crowded and make me feel claustrophobic.” Bohne says the students need more discipline in order for the school to be safer.

Bohne thinks if students in the school are comfortable being here it can make them feel safe. “Sometimes I just feel unsafe and I feel like I don’t have people to go to.” Bohne said the principal would make this school safer since he has the most power. Although when people raise their voice at Trinity she feels unsafe and uncomfortable.

Kaylyn Hendrix, an 8th grader, said she doesn’t feel safe at school. A difference she would make in this school is the kids. “A lot of them are bullies and the vice principal and principal don’t do anything about it.” “Kids go to the counselor crying about it, and they don’t enforce bullying enough.” said Hendrix. She states that Mr.Hernandez makes her feel safe in school.

Elizah Hamilton is an 8th grader. Hamilton feels that Dobie is pretty safe already, by having lockdown drills, and making sure visitors check in to come into the school. She has one memory about her not feeling safe. “I remember last year we had a lockdown in Coach Burtons class, and we sat there for about thirty minutes. And a lot of students started texting their parents, which made me kind of scared. I felt unsafe because we were in a portable.”

Shania Sapp is an 8th grader here at Dobie. She does not feel safe at school at all. “I’ve gotten kicked and shoved for no reason, and it hurts my feelings. I wish I was in Germany sometimes” Sapp said. Sapp always feels anxious when she is walking alone in the hallways and fears people will pick on her.

She is also afraid of all the school shootings, so that makes her feel anxious as well. Sapp replied back with a way to make this school safer. “I feel like the administrators should check the cameras more.”  

Mr. Simmons is the principle at Dobie Junior High. He stated that there are two lockdowns in fall and two in spring. As for fire drills we have one every month.