Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School group plans Anti-Bullying Week activities

In recognition of Anti-Bullying week, the Bee the Change Committee at Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School planned a week of activities starting Monday, Nov. 14, which culminates with a Mix It Up Lunch on Friday where students will sit with someone new – including faculty and staff members – and initiate a conversation. Students will also sign an anti-bullying pledge during the lunch.

The committee is also asking faculty and staff members to write on a strip of construction paper if they see a random act of kindness by a student during the week. The committee plans to link the paper together to form a chain that they hope will stretch the entire second floor of the school.

Started last year, the anti-bullying group “Bee the Change” encourages everyone to take a stand against bullying in school. The group has more than 25 members in grades 7-12. Staff members include Kolbe Gray and Michelle Boylan. This year, the group will focus on the theme, “Stop and Think, Words Can Hurt.”

“Lots of schools have anti-bullying groups and we feel it’s important to do this for the entire week,” Mrs. Boylan said. “When we heard about the Dignity for All Students Act, we knew it would be a good idea.”

The act – enacted in 2010 to protect New York State’s public school students from harassment and bullying – takes effect in 2012.

Other activities taking place during the week at the school include:

•  Wearing a different color each day;

• Passing out 500 black and gold ribbons for the students to wear;

• A daily announcement featuring a positive quote or bullying statistic;

• Asking staff to sign a sheet that says: “I agree to be identified as a caring adult who pledges to help bullied students. I will listen carefully to all students who seek my help and act on their behalf to put an immediate stop to bullying. I will work with other caring adults to create a safe learning environment for our school”;

• Placing five black and gold “see something, say something,” shoeboxes around the school where students can anonymously write about acts of bullying they have witnessed; and

• Creating a “Wall of Fame” featuring pictures of celebrities and stories about how they were bullied.

“Bullying is coming to the forefront of society and even celebrities are talking about it. 50 Cent is writing a book and Lady Gaga was even bullied, so it can happen to anyone,” Mrs. Boylan said.

“The kids are excited for the week. They want to do a newsletter and a PowerPoint presentation. They realize that anti-bullying is a 365-day-a-year thing.”