Principal's Message
SMS Families:
In the 2025-26 school year, the PA Safe2Say Something tip line received 26,240 reports, with a total of 205,290 reports since launching in 2019.
“The Safe2Say Something program was established within the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General through Act 44 of 2018. Safe2Say Something is a system for anonymously reporting unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities in any school in Pennsylvania.”
Live dispatchers are available 24/7, year round, to respond to tips. These dispatchers are employed by` the PA Office of the Attorney General and alert school administration and law enforcement of concerns via text messaging, email, and phone calls.
The system is available to staff, students, parents, and community members. This is the best way to get safety concerns to school administrators immediately as emails are not constantly monitored.
When submitting a tip, provide as much information as possible, such as the names of individuals involved in the concern, screenshots of social media posts (if available), and the date/time of the incident. If it is an emergency, please call 911 directly.
The 2025-26 Safe2Say Annual Report categorized the top ten reporting reasons as:
Bullying / Cyber Bullying: 4314
Suicide / Suicide Ideation: 2635
Drug Distribution / Possession: 2019
Smoking (Tobacco, E-Cig, Vape) in School: 1632
Inappropriate Language/Behavior/Gesture: 1920
Threat Against School: 668
Cutting / Self-Harm: 2078
Threat Against Person: 1215
Substance Abuse (Alcohol, Drugs): 1096
General Student Concern: 764
2025 -2026 Safe2Say Annual Report: https://www.
For news and happenings at SMS, be sure to check out our October newsletter.
Sincerely,
Dr. Melissa Bell
Principal
Melissa.Bell@sycsd.org
717-235-4811 Extension 3500
Dr. Bell's Background:
Dr. Bell holds a bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania in Secondary Citizenship Education, a master’s degree from York College in Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate degree from Immaculata University in Educational Leadership. Having worked in the education field for almost two decades, Dr. Bell has served as a high school Social Studies teacher, high school Assistant Principal, and is currently the Principal of Southern Middle School. In her free time, she volunteers as a scout leader for BSA Troops 43B and 43G and Crew 43 in Dallastown.