“Be a buddy, not a bully,” said Pine Island Elementary students who are learning young what it means to be a good friend who stands up against bullying.
The third- through fifth-grade Comstock Park Public Schools students spent October focusing on National Bullying Prevention Month.
Principal Stacy Reehl said students learned about how to react when someone is being bullied. To focus on the subject, students and teachers all wore blue one day, wore hats another day and got to bring their own “buddies” to school, their favorite stuffed animals. They watched videos including Bystander Revolution, which includes testimonials from celebrities about spreading kindness, being positive and standing up for people.
“One thing we focused on is if somebody’s drowning and you stick out your hand it only takes one hand to pull them up,” Reehl said. “It only takes one person to stand up and make it stop.”
They held hands on the soccer field to “stand together against bullying” and each classroom made an anti-bullying poster board.
“Stand up for people, always be nice and stop the bullying,” said fourth-grader Leila Pensin.
CONNECT
Working Together to Provide Resources to Prevent Bullying This Month and Every Month
