Challenges in dealing with student behavior have escalated in the past five to 10 years, notes Sequim schools superintendent Regan Nickels.

“We are running into things [regarding student behavior] that are challenging,” she said last week in an interview. In many instances, she said, teachers and staff are seeing an “over-reaction to normal challenges.”

The struggles across the school district — problems not specific to Sequim or the North Olympic Peninsula, school leaders note — and some of the ways to address them are to be spotlighted in a public forum next week.

The Sequim School District hosts “Partnering to Support & Manage Behavior in School: A Community Forum,” set for 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at the Sequim High School Library, 601 N. Sequim Ave.

The forum will take an in-depth look at district procedures, processes and policies around student behavior. Attendees can hear from behavior management professionals and learn about students privacy issues.

A panel will share approaches to teaching and managing behavior and will also address parent/community member questions.

Nickels said staff in recent years have seen challenges with students in certain areas, from problems with conflict management resolution to self-management to spikes in emotional and physical reactions to situations.

The cause(s) of these changes, she said, aren’t completely defined but could be the result of the growth in use of technology that could be affecting sleep patterns and how much young students are able to sustain attention.

For more information, call the district office at 360-582-3264.