FUNDRAISING AT THE RACES

SATURDAY NIGHT IS RACE NIGHT

We will be heading back to

The Port Charlotte Motor Sports Park

on Saturday night from 6:00 to 11:30. 

Students are free with a school ID.

WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP!

WE WILL HAVE AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING ON JUNE 2, 2007 FOR ALL STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C. IN JULY.  PARENTS SHOULD ATTEND THIS MEETING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ALL INFORMATION BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS TRIP.   It will be held in the meeting room at Cape Coral Public Library from 3 to 5 p.m.  We will cover the travel dates, costs involved, a preliminary itinerary for the trip, and answer two crucial questions "CAN WE DO THIS?" and "HOW?"  Membership in Students for Safer Schools, Inc. is open to all students, and we encourage interested parents to bring their children to this meeting and find out what SFSS is all about. 

2 new messages in 1 topic - abridged

SaferSchools
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Today's most active topics:

* Peer Based Prevention-EMPOWER kids to change - 2 new

http://groups.google.com/group/saferschools/t/f6f9b34674d1d63e?hl=en

Active Topics
-------------

Peer Based Prevention-EMPOWER kids to change - 2 new
----------------------------------------------------
I am a middle school counselor working tirelessly against bullying on so many
levels.Our kids came together with me, wrote a grant, created a video, and
visited several schools and symposiums speaking out against bullying. It's
AMAZING what kids can do when they are guided and empowered to change!! We are
working with our congressman on - Wed, May 23 2007 1:57 pm
2 messages , 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/saferschools/t/f6f9b34674d1d63e?hl=en

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UPDATES ON SUICIDE PREVENTION

Good News for all those that attended the Suicide Prevention Rally in Tally, and to everyone that has worked so hard to establish an Office of Suicide Prevention in Florida.  Yesterday, Governor Charlie Crist signed the Suicide Prevention Bill into law!  This legislation will take effect July 1, 2007.  They are still working on coordinating a small bill signing ceremony, and I will keep you posted.  

The Suicide Prevention Task Force Meeting scheduled for June 15th has been cancelled.  They will reschedule after the Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council has been reorganized in statute.

Suicide Prevention Workshop:  What to Look For, What to Do, How to Help

On Thursday May 31st, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is offering a two hour workshop on Suicide Prevention.  You don't need to be a mental health professional to attend; by learning the warning signs and what to do, anyone can help someone who could be at risk for suicide.  If you work with a population that could be at risk for suicide, or would like to learn more about warning signs of suicide and what to do if you see warning signs, please review the information below for more details on this informative workshop.

Thursday, May 31st

1 pm to 3 pm

At the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay

No registration fee. Seating is limited. To enroll, please visit our

web site and click on the suicide prevention link. You will find

information on registering on-line using our secure service. www.crisiscenter.com

For more information email: GatekeeperSuicidePreventionTraining@crisiscenter.com

Please feel free to forward this on to any of your colleagues or anyone else you think may be interested in this opportunity.

 

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Active Topics
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VOICES - 1 new
--------------
Come on EVERYONE! Get your VOICES heard!! Sign on as a member and help the
cause! Students For Safer Schools needs EVERY VOICE! Thanks in advance for
your support- Kathy - Mon, May 21 2007 4:32 am
1 message, 1 author
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California - 1 new
------------------
Debbie I am currently working on getting our county policies changed and would
love to get our state policies changed. Thank you for being an inspiration to
all of us Mariposa Mothers Against School Hazing is looking at taking over the
nation wide mother chapter of Mothers Against School Hazing and are more than
willing to join our voices - Mon, May 21 2007 8:08 am
1 message, 1 author
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CYBERSAFETY WORKSHOP TONIGHT!

Cyber Safety has become an issue at the forefront of the nation's conscience the past few years, but many people don't understand the hidden dangers that the Internet can pose for their children.  Florida Attorney General, Bill McCollum, has begun a CyberSafety Initiative, which will kick off in Lee County at a workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, May 2st, at Caloosa Elementar School, 620 Del Prado Blvd. Cape Coral.   "The issue of Internet safety is one that confronts all of us – parents and educators," said Dr. James Browder, Superintendent of Schools. "I applaud the Attorney General in his efforts and we are thrilled he will be visiting our area to address this important issue."

 The event is open to the public and parents are strongly encouraged to attend. The Internet has become part of everyday life, and we all need to know what to do to stay safe while navigating the Information Superhighway.

Google Groups: You've been invited to SaferSchools

JeffreyJohnstonLaw@MSN.com has invited you to join the SaferSchools group
with this message:

Hi Everyone,
This is Debbie Johnston with Students for Safer Schools, and I am setting up
a google group so that we may communicate and collaborate more easily as the
network gets larger. Stay tuned for updates!
Hugs,
Debbie

Here is the group's description:

Students for Safer Schools Students, parents, and teachers committed to
raising awareness about bullying and suicide prevention.

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Fw: What is up for TONIGHT?

   Dress is casual for the race this evening so you can choose from your any of your SFSS shirts.  We are selling the "Stomp Out Bullying tank tops" and the fluorescent "We Are All Running in the Same Human Race" shirts, so these would be a great choice.  If you don't have either of these shirts, and you want one, they are available for $15.  We are also selling gray Mariner "Got Empathy" shirts for $10 each. 

 

Back to the Races...

THE JEFFREY JOHNSTON MEMORIAL RACE NIGHT

will be held on this Saturday, May 19th, 2007 

from 6:00 until 11:30 p.m.

at

Charlotte County Motor Sports Park

8955 Piper Road

Punta Gorda, Florida

SFSS members will be collecting donations and selling SFSS

merchandise in order to raise money to continue working with

legislators to pass the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students

Act at both the state and national level, and to advocate for

the safety and well-being of all students.

Over 57,000 Served...

We might not be McDonalds, but we are doing a fantastic job of getting the word out about BULLYING & SUICIDE PREVENTION!  Our website has passed the 57,000 mark since being launched in the new format in March, and we are averaging about 12,000 hits per week!  This means that when we launch our magazine "Quasar" that we will be reaching a wide audience with very diverse backgrounds.  Advertising for our first issue will be offered at a substantially reduced rate, and we are anxious to demonstrate what the unique, personalized approach of our marketing team can do for your business.  If you are interested in

having your business featured in Quasar, please email us at Quasar_Magazine@msn.com

Is Anyone Out There?

With only ten school days left, I know that everyone is slammed with events and obligations, and who has time to check their email anyway... 

Past experience has shown that the BEST form of communication is WORD OF MOUTH!  Please be sure to pass the word about Saturday so that

everyone knows about RACE NIGHT at the CHARLOTTE COUNTY MOTOR SPORTS PARK!  Admission is FREE with a student ID, so come out and

bring your friends for a night of fun and excitement to support Students For Safer Schools Travel Fund!

Start your engines...

 

THE JEFFREY JOHNSTON MEMORIAL RACE NIGHT

    will be held on this Saturday, May 12th, 2007 

             from 4:00 until 11:30 p.m. at

       Charlotte County Motor Sports Park

                     8955 Piper Road

                 Punta Gorda, Florida

SFSS members will be collecting donations and selling SFSS merchandise in order to raise money to continue working with legislators to pass the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act at both the state and national level, and to advocate for the safety and well-being of all students.

It's not easy raising green...

    If you aren't going to the website (www.jeffreyjohnston.org) to check out the News Updates (my blog) and the Events pages, you may be missing out on what is going on in Tallahassee, and with Students for Safer Schools, Inc. 

We are nearing 50,000 hits, and have reached the stage where funding our events as an individual are no longer possible.  On the positive side, we have our Articles of Incorporation and have set up Pay Pal on the site so we are

now able to accept donations and hold fundraising events.  With summer vacation right around the corner, we will

finally be able to move forward with our own online magazine "QUASAR!"  We have KIDS IN CONGRESS bracelets &

plenty of t-shirts to sell, but I need volunteers to help organize the events and do the selling.  If you are interested

in helping, please let me know!  We will now be keeping track of volunteer hours so that we can document them for

community service hours, and for participation on future trips.  If we don't raise the green, we can't make the scene! 

 

After the rain comes the rainbow...

     I want to thank my dear friend, Lisa, for remembering that tomorrow is my birthday, and for even knowing that my favorite color is purple.  I have to admit that I was seeing red all week, and that I have been feeling blue all day.  I guess even the blackest cloud has a silver lining because I have made so many wonderful people as a result of this crazy fight to change the world.  The first email that I opened was a birthday wish.  There is always hope when you have friends.

     We have a month before special session, and just as surely as a rainbow follows the rain, we will find a way.  The rainbow is God's promise, and the star is for hope.  This year, my favorite color is green.  I hope everyone will use the donation link on our website in lieu of presents, flowers, or cake.  The only gift I want this year is to get Jeff's Bill passed at special session. 

 

It's Good to be home...

I just want to let everyone know that I made it back home safely!  Tomorrow is for family, and Monday we will start strategizing for Special Session.  There were some good laws passed, but it is sad that both Jeff's Bill and Kid Care weren't among them.  Neither was the bill for the test that would detect cancerous tumors in the eyes of babies and toddlers.  Please take the time to follow the links and write to Governor Crist, Senator Pruitt, and Representative Rubio to ask them to expand the call of the special session to include "Children" among Florida's top priorities!

 

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The 2007 Legislative Session came to an end today, but the work is far from over!  I stopped by to thank all of the many Senators and Representatives that have sponsored or co-sponsored Jeff's Bill.  I was amazed at the outpouring of encouragement that I received from everyone.  Ellyn Bogdanoff took it almost as hard as I did, but then we dried our tears, and laid out our strategy for the special session. 

Now is the time to put all those persuasive writing skills to work!  We need to send emails to Governor Crist asking that he expand the call

of the special session to include school safety, and remember to thank him for his championship of Jeff's Bill at the Press Conference held to announce that legislators would return for special session in order to address taxes, insurance, and SCHOOL SAFETY!  He further showed his support by calling on me for a question, which gave me the opportunity to ask the crucial question, "Could Jeff's Bill be addressed at that time?"  His response left no doubt about which side of the issue he is on!  We also need to contact House Speaker, Marco Rubio, and Senate President, Ken Pruitt.  We have always had strong support from the House of Representatives, and I believe Representative Rubio will welcome the opportunity to get a second chance to vote in favor of Jeff's Bill.  The Senate has always been our downfall, so we will try to concentrate the majority of our efforts there.  Please continue to email Ken Pruitt to ask that the full Senate be allowed to vote on Jeff's Bill.  The fact that Senator Wise had to go to such great lengths to prevent the bill from being brought to the Senate floor, illustrates how much support there is for the bill.  There is no doubt that a "hidden agenda" exists, but many of those supporting it would prefer to remain safely under the radar.  The only way to be certain that YOUR Senator cannot hide behind any "plausible deniability" is to ensure that they are well aware of YOUR position on this issue.  You can locate your Senators and email them by going to www.flsenate.gov  Don't let the fire go out, because you are the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Yesterday, we celebrated the fact that Senator Wise had finally bowed to the will of his constituents in removing Jeff's Bill from his committee.  Unfortunately, he did manage to stall the bill until the deadline passed for Jeff's Bill to simply be heard as a late filed bill.

In order to be heard before the end of the session, or in special session, we must demonstrate that protecting children in our classrooms is equally a priority as lowering property taxes or insurance premiums.  Once again we must ask ourselves, "What is the going price on the life (or emotional well-being) of a child?"  In this session, we have seen 12 million dollars allocated to the family of a child that was paralyzed for life through medical malpractice at the age of five months.  Another 5 million goes to the family of the teenager that was beaten to death by instructors at a boot camp facility.  This indicates to me that Florida does place a high value on both the life, and the quality of life, of our most vulnerable citizens.  This is also represented by the traffic that I am seeing on the website, which is listed below.  

     While driving to Tallahassee, I listened to an interview with a writer from Time Magazine.  She was discussing the Mommy Wars, which had been the subject of the article that drew the greatest response from Times readers for the entire year with over 42,000 hits.  As of this morning, we have surpassed that milestone, and the number continues to grow.

     I encourage everyone to let their voice be heard, through calls, letters, emails, and the media.  Contact Governor Crist and Ken Pruitt to let them know that our children, teachers, and schools is our FIRST priority in Florida, and we want Jeff's Bill to go forward and be passed by the Senate.  We will not permit the whims of one man to circumvent the will of the Governor, The House of Representatives, and the people of Florida.

 

Every Who Down in Whoville...

It has been a day of surprises here in Tallahassee, and I am filled with the hope that Jeff's Bill may pass either this week or in special session.  In a scene straight out of West Wing, I decided to attend the Governor's Press Conference to announce that work would continue in special session.  What a thrill it was when Governor Crist pointed at me for a question!  I can still hardly believe that I actually managed to find the words to ask if Jeff's Bill could be heard in special session!  Charlie Crist, you are my hero today!. 

Senator Wise Answers Some Tough Questions

All attempts to address the real reasons behind Senator Wise's refusal to allow Jeff's Bill to be voted on by the full Senate failed once again.  After a good thirty minutes of waiting, I did manage to meet with Senator Wise in his office, where he kept an assistant in the room at all times,  The Senator once again laid out his reasons for killing Jeff's Bill as the following.

• It is the fault of the parents.  We need to throw the parents in jail.
• It is the fault of the teachers, the administrators, the superintendents, and the school board.  They are "BIG WEENIES" and refuse to enforce the laws that are already in place.
• It is the fault of the people in the State Attorney's Office, for failing to prosecute the bullies, their parents, the teachers, the schools, and anyone and everyone, as long as they don't look toward his office for answers.

He has no explanation for why he voted in favor of the bill last year, but was honest enough to admit that he knew it wasn't going to vote for the bill from the beginning.  He stated that he knew that the bill was coming to his committee after Criminal Justice next, so he figured "Why not!"  Why not indeed?  Why not avoid the questions, the hassle, the debate?  It is so much easier to smile, and lie to Jeff's little brother, his mother, his friends.

 

Senator Wise made a grand gesture of calling for a meeting with the State Attorney, Wayne Blanton, Bill Mumford, and any other government official he could think of.  "We will do it later," he says.  "We will find someone to sue," he says.  "I am an important man.  I serve on twelve committees.  I have $27 million dollars worth of legislation," he says.  Doesn't it make you wonder what the going price on your child's life means to Senator Wise?   

Back in Tallahassee

It isn't over until its over, and I am back in Tallahassee to fight for Jeff's dream until I have no one left to fight.  It is a little bit like being a soldier that has been cut off from his unit.  I know that there is an army behind me, but for now it is up to me to hold the line.  I will be in the gallery of the Senate.  The lone soldier in black.  Keep the prayers and emails coming.  Now is when we need them most!

Hugs,

Debbie