Local school takes action in support of Bully Awareness Week

By: April Lawrence

Staff and students at Deseronto Public School celebrate bullying awareness and prevention week with a presentation and a student drumming demonstration ozn November 19, 2012. Photo by April Lawrence

Courtney Ketcheson is one of the students at Deseronto Public School who participated in the bullying awareness and prevention week kick off by sharing her bullying poster.

In a presentation Monday morning, staff and students at the school shared the steps they are taking to reduce bullying. Deseronto Public School use programs to help students learn in a positive environment.

Classroom circles are one of the practices being used. They encourage students to listen intently to each other.

“Everybody gets to have their voice heard,” said Aliya Cherneskie, a student.

Ketcheson said that the programs should continue. She said it’s good that the students get to learn more about each other and more about the other classrooms around the school. Other students had similar opinions.

Classroom circles are being used to teach lessons, promote equality, community, and wholeness.  Each student is given the opportunity to speak while everyone else sits quietly and listens. These circles are used in classrooms from J.K. through to secondary school.

It is one of several programs used to encourage student voice and positive relationships. Another program used at the school is Focus on Character Education, which teaches students elements of good character. Students and staff demonstrated a classroom circle during the presentation.

Playing throughout the presentation was a slide show with pictures of students bullying prevention posters. The posters are based on the presentation the Power of One. In the presentation the students learned ways to identify the bully, the target, and the victim. Students were able to sign a pledge following the presentation.

Ketcheson shared her poster at the presentation Monday. In her poster she drew two scenarios. In one she showed a person being bullied and in the other how to not be a bully.  She said that a strategy that could be used to stop bullying was including people in activities so that they have friends.

The school received the Speak Up grant which goes to schools that apply for special funding for programs that support student voice.  To encourage this a second presentation to kick off bullying prevention and awareness week was held the following day that was largely put on by the students.

Teachers are just as enthusiastic about these programs as the students said principal Heather Seres. Teachers are also using classroom circles to start their meetings.  They want to have good supportive relationships throughout the school.

“We believe strongly that students should treat each other with respect. Students should treat teachers with respect and staff should treat each other with respect. It’s really about being kind to each other,” said Rob McGall director of education for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board.

The school board has designated the third week of every November to be bullying awareness and prevention week.