Bullying is a serious issue that many students face and unfortunately with the introduction of new technology, it no longer stays in the schoolyard.
It can infiltrate multiple aspects of a child’s life to the point where they feel they’ve lost control. In order to raise awareness about this prevalent problem, October is recognized as Bullying Prevention Month.
According to Plymouth Community Schools Marketing Director Judi Lykowski, students and staff have been engaging in a campaign this week to emphasize that bullies are not welcome at their schools.
At Webster and Menominee, the kids and school officials are attempting to raise awareness about bullying prevention by wearing a specific color on each day of the week.
On Tuesday, students wore pink and on Wednesday they donned tie-dye or bright colors. Social Worker Wendi Bendy reported that the color pink was chosen for Tuesday since any student would be “tickled pink” if a fellow classmate invited them to play. Tie-dye and bright colors were chosen to symbolize being the bright spot in someone’s day.
In addition to wearing specific colors to represent positive messages, students were encouraged to look on the playground for others who may need a friend to play with and invite them to join in with their group.
They were also asked to utilize encouraging words when speaking to their peers as well as giving an extra smile or compliment to anyone that they think might need some kindness in their life.
The creative efforts of students at Webster, Menominee and Jefferson are being documented throughout the week by Plymouth High School Career Marketing seniors Alissa Knapp and Paige Young as well as junior Bo Meadors. Click on the names of the schools to view the photos.
While it’s great that students are taking the initiative to address the problem head-on, they can’t handle this responsibility all on their own. Parents, teachers, administrators and community members are all encouraged to be a part of the solution. For more information about this issue and ways to raise awareness, visit StompOutBullying.org or StopBullying.gov.
