Maze Middle School leaders are passionate about the site’s efforts to improve safety on campus.
Principal Primavera Cabibi and Vice Principal Shanieka Richard spoke about the school’s emphasis on safety measures in advance of America’s Safe Schools Week from Oct. 20-24. Like other Hollister sites, Maze will highlight its safety initiatives throughout the week.
“We wanted to highlight all of the different safety measures that we’re taking here at Maze, not only for our students but for the staff as well,” Richard said, “and how we’re incorporating the community and our parents into the safety aspect of what we do as administrators.”
The two administrators underscored both physical and mental safety as priorities. The school has a Wellness Center and wellness team composed of the counselor and school social worker.
“That’s a really great asset to our school,” Cabibi said of the Wellness Center. “Kids know how to access it, and it’s very accessible to them without having to book an appointment through us.”
Students sometimes go to the center during lunchtime or can request 15-minute breaks to the Wellness Center with their teachers through Google Classroom.
“It actually has cut down a lot of behaviors where referrals are coming through our office,” Cabibi added.
At the wellness center, students might do a quiet activity with a friend or two, or perhaps alone.
“It has been very successful as a moment to take a breath,” Cabibi said, “especially for kiddos with some anxiety.”
She said Maze has worked particularly hard on transparency with families with regard to safety matters and expectations. Administrators have implemented support mechanisms so parents have open lines of communication and can feel comfortable asking how to help with specific issues.
“There is a disciplinary process that is the initial response, but then we follow up with the educational support piece. Nine times out of 10, something is going on,” the principal noted.
Prevention is a big piece of the puzzle, the administrators said. Richard mentioned repetition through morning announcements when the school reminds students about available tools. One of those is the Hawkeye Incident Report allowing students to anonymously report matters.
Those could range from brewing drama to identifying broken glass, graffiti or hateful language written somewhere, the vice principal described.
Students can report those issues on their chromebooks or through Google Classroom with their phones.
“Also, we have signage at our restrooms, which has significantly reduced our vaping rate,” Richard mentioned. “I don’t think we’ve had an incident of students vaping since putting up signage just letting them know we have vape sensors, that they are on, that your backpacks are not allowed in the restroom.”
Administrators make sure to check in with students previously found with vapes or having other behavioral issues.
It helps to have motivational speaker Ray Lozano with Prevention Plus come in to talk with students about living a healthy and drug-free lifestyle, and to have services from other partners such as Youth Alliance and San Benito County Behavioral Health who work with site staff to serve students.
With regard to mental health as a whole, Cabibi said Maze teaches students that it’s OK to have a difference of opinion.
“There’s a way in which you share space and you work together in the working environment,” she said, “because that’s going to happen in life. Not everybody is for you. Not everybody is your cup of tea. It’s teaching them, that’s OK.”
Richard also wanted to highlight the site’s successful partnership with the Hollister Police Department, which is scheduled to participate in America’s Safe Schools Week on Oct. 20 at Maze.
“We have them speak to our students,” Richard said. “They’ll come onto campus and mingle with them, and they really do enjoy being here. They are very supportive, but it’s not in a punitive way.”
