Hi, I'm Scott Poland and I'm delighted to be coming to Cairns at the request of the Dr Edward Koch Foundation. My address will interest educators, education administrators, mental health professionals, and parents who take an interest in new and innovative strategies. I will be sharing some of the thinking that has been of some influence in the United States. While we have some situations that are not as urgent to address in the Australian schooling system, we do have - unfortunately - a number of problems in common. I would like to share with you some of the latest ideas in the areas of student support.

Dr Scott Poland is a highly regarded consultant in the USA, in particular to government communities and schools in response to school shooting incidents. Among a host of topics about which Dr Poland writes are: homophobia and the need for young LGBT people to be accepted and supported; breaking the conspiracy of silence about school safety; the importance of emergency lock down drills, and crisis plans; grade retention and how not to leave children behind; the prevention of cluster suicides; when death affects a school community; asphyxiation and thrill-seeking behaviour.

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Program

8.00	Registration, tea and coffee on arrival
8.30-10.00	Session 1 School safety is an inside job. Lessons learned from the front lines for prevention and threat assessment
10.00-10.30	Morning coffee
10.30-12.00	Session 2 Suicide and bullying prevention in schools. Providing support for high risk groups and preventing contagion or suicide clusters
12.00-1.00	Lunch
1.00-2.30	Session 3 Risk behaviours: prevention and response to self-injury and the choking game
2.30-3.00	Afternoon tea
3.00-4.30	Session 4 Parenting in todays world Safeguarding children and building resiliency and success

School safety is an inside job: how to get your students involved early in the school year