Schools throughout the Halton District School Board have numerous activities and initiatives planned for November 20-26, 2016 to recognize the Ontario Ministry of Education’s designated Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. The goal of these activities is to encourage and promote respect for everyone while increasing awareness and prevention of bullying.
“The Halton District School Board is always proud to highlight Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week with activities, events and initiatives to make our students and staff feel safe and welcomed in our schools and buildings,” says Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “Feeling safe and secure in a learning environment is important to help students feel confident and motivated to achieve success. During this week, and throughout the school year, the Halton District School Board strives to emphasize the significance of respecting and understanding each other, and to be mindful of each other’s well-being. We are always working toward creating a culture of inclusion for each and every one of our students.”
Halton Police has launched its 2016-17 Give Respect Get Respect bullying prevention campaign. Grade 6-12 students are challenged to create powerful arts-based public service messages focused on the theme of, We Are The Change. Submissions must promote positive messaging about personal well-being, healthy relationships, bullying prevention or diversity and inclusion. Categories include posters, video and original song. Elementary and secondary submissions will be judged separately. Winning entries will be part of an on-going bullying prevention campaign and displayed publicly across Halton region. This includes the display of artwork on buses, bus shelters, at malls and in regional movie theatres. The deadline for schools to submit their entry is Thursday, March 9, 2017. A recognition gala will be held in the spring.
Schools are hosting numerous events and activities during the week of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week as well as throughout the month of November. They include:
• Nelson High School (Burlington): Nelson is running a variety of activities to raise awareness and focus on health promotion. The theme includes ‘Take a Stand, Nelson’ with activities including motivations, appreciation boards and positive messaging a mural activity in which students make an outline of their hand to write their support/commitment to the school community. These activities are designed to build onto the school’s broader health and well-being plan to support students, staff and families.
• T.A. Blakelock High School (Oakville): T.A. Blakelock’s Well-being team will meet and greet staff and students as they arrive to school while finding positive messages written on Post-it notes attached to lockers; selling ‘Diversity Cupcakes’, prepared by students of the school’s food and nutrition class, with proceeds for youth organization Reach Out Centre for Kids; coloured cardboard star-cut outs will be distributed for students to write compliments about each other and displayed in the cafeteria.
• Bruce Trail Public School (Milton): The school will hold a ‘Throw Kindness Like Confetti Graffitti Wall’ in which students will write kind messages about each other and place them on the wall; students will be encouraged to give compliments such as ‘You’re a good listener’ and ‘You’re inspirational’.
• George Kennedy Public School (Halton Hills): The school is hosting many activities including a Grade 4 student performance of ‘Recess Queen’, a skit with a bullying prevention message; student videos explaining the meaning of acceptance.
Halton District School Board is committed to empowering students and staff to stand up to bullying and inequity, as well as standing together to build safe, equitable, caring and inclusive environments in all schools continues throughout the school year.
For additional information, contact:
Jason Misner, Communications Officer
Halton District School Board
905-335-3663; Toll free: 1-877-618-3456