We have been to both schools, have counseled with the teachers and principals, and also have tried the counselors at each school. The recent incident at Jonesboro shows, unfortunately, that many teachers and administrators pay too little attention to bullying among students. This problem needs to be addressed on two fronts. First, continue pressing the issue with the school administrators. They should be especially sensitive to the issue after what recently happened.
School needs to be a safe haven for all children.
The other critical issue is to maintain open communication with your children, and to adjust your style of communication as they grow older. I recently was a consultant on a survey that studied communication between 5th through 8th graders and their parents. We developed a series of tips, both for parents and for children, on ways to improve communications. The reason I emphasize this is that few of the children in Jonesboro and elsewhere where there have been problems felt comfortable talking to adults about bullying at their school. So keep the pressure on the administration and congratulate yourself on having a relationship with your children in which they're willing to come to you with these problems.