October is Bullying Prevention Month

• Every child has the right to feel safe and supported.
• Bullying directly affects a student’s ability to learn. Students who are bullied often do not want to go to school. They may find it difficult to concentrate, show a decline in grades, and lose self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.
• Students who are bullied report more physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches, and mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, than other students.
• A focus on preventing bullying is important, as is promoting positive actions such as kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
• Students who bully others can also be negatively affected by the behavior with higher rates of physical and emotional health issues.
• Students can be especially effective in bullying intervention. It’s important for adults to encourage youth to be supportive of anyone experiencing bullying and to educate youth on how to advocate for themselves and for others.

However, often times actions that are rude or mean are equated with bullying. Although these behaviors are also ones we work to discourage in young children, they are not the same as bullying. It is important that children and their families learn to distinguish between these three types of behaviors so that they can be addressed appropriately.

This month we’re talking about the character trait of Respect. The dictionary defines it as the value of admiring another person for who they are and what they do. The definition we are using in class is:

Respect: seeing good in people and things (and treating them with care).

We are also talking about Respect in the context of using good manners, not using inappropriate or offensive language, being courteous to one another, resolving conflicts peacefully, and treating one another as we would want to be treated (and how they want to be treated!).

2020-2021 School Year

9/10/21

9/17/21

9/24/21