UGDSB stands up to bullying during Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
November 23, 2018
GUELPH, Ontario – Students and staff in the Upper Grand District School Board joined their voices to stand up to bullying during Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.
During the week of November 18-24, schools in the UGDSB engaged in many thought-provoking activities to help raise awareness about bullying and the effect it has on students.
Activities throughout the board included promoting kindness, standing up and standing together, building empathy in students and being a good friend.
At Island Lake PS, students and staff focused on choosing kindness to overcome bullying behaviour. The school issued students a daily kindness challenge and classroom activities.
At Guelph Lake PS, Get in Touch for Hutch and the Canadian Mental Health Association visited the school to install a Buddy Bench. A Buddy Bench is a place in the school where students can go when they are feeling lonely or need a friend. CUPE Local 256 funded this bench for the school.
At Brant Avenue PS, students were each given a stop sign to write on. Stop signs were then filled with ideas about how to put a stop to bullying and were displayed throughout the school.
Taylor Evans PS launched an Increase the Kindness campaign where classes brainstormed ways to be kind and put an end to bullying. Students and staff also distributed kindness cards to people to thank them for being kind.
Kortright Hills PS used the week to focus on the theme of friendship. Students participated in activities and action steps that showed how to be a friend. Topics included listening to our friends, showing interest in what our friends say by asking questions, smiling and saying hello, giving complements and appreciating everyone’s differences.
Elementary schools were not the only groups in the board focusing on bullying awareness week. Centre Wellington DHS focused on bullying awareness by talking about mental health. On November 21, the school welcomed Michael Landsberg and Jennifer Hedger to the school to have an open conversation with students and staff about mental health.
The school also received a donation from Babs Nippard. Nippard started a small business hand making weighted blankets for children and youth and donated one to the school. Weighted blankets have been proven to have calming effects and this one is already getting much use at CWDHS.
Many elementary and secondary schools also held bullying awareness assemblies and hosted pink days for students and staff.
See how UGDSB stood up to bullying:
The frosty wind couldn’t keep our Winegard Acceptance Team from passing along messages of kindness and acceptance with their homemade buttons! #BullyingAwarenessWeek @ugdsb pic.twitter.com/45XqvrJfhV
— Wm. C. Winegard PS (@wcwinegardps) November 21, 2018
UGDSB Pathways supports anti-bulling awareness!!! @ugdsb pic.twitter.com/1kXWxRdiCA
— UGDSB7/8Guidance (@UGDSBGuidance) November 22, 2018
Moved by how candid @TSN_Sports broadcasters & mental health advocates @jenniferhedger & @heylandsberg are as they address #wellingtoncounty community members tonight. Grateful for dedicated partners @CMHAWW @familycounsGW @OPP @ugdsb & others here too. #sicknotweak #locallove pic.twitter.com/52Nft0hH4W
— United Way GWD (@UWGuelph) November 21, 2018
Our #taylorevanseagles #colourhouse kick off assembly showing our #rainbow colours for #AntiBullyingWeek @ugdsb pic.twitter.com/3bUJEkYXhy
— Taylor Evans PS (@TaylorEvansPS) November 21, 2018
Parkinson students working together to create a safe and inclusive school community! @ugdsb #respect pic.twitter.com/uBPUWGhCt2
— Parkinson Centennial (@PCPS__1) November 21, 2018
Anti-Bullying Week at GLP -Thanks to Myrna and Rebecca from #getintouchforhutch & #CMHA for presenting as well as CUPE Local 256 for financial support @ugdsb pic.twitter.com/EVFyVhMbDP
— Guelph LakeVoyageurs (@GLVoyageurs) November 21, 2018
I think it’s a veritable tie. Principal @LeBlancPeter raising the shoe & sock game bar today to kick-off #BullyingAwarenessWeek. Awesome students at @mvpsvipers in @ugdsb as we talked about character, clarity and purpose around their online presence. #DigitalIntelligence pic.twitter.com/tqQ3K3UhQP
— Chris Vollum (@cmvsocialmedia) November 19, 2018
I am… pic.twitter.com/bziHxK3r3i
— Willow Road PS (@WillowRoadPS) November 21, 2018
Whole school BINGO is underway! We’re with our buddies and we’re working on getting two rows! #antibullyingweek2018 pic.twitter.com/LPX8KZJkxE
— Willow Road PS (@WillowRoadPS) November 21, 2018
— PEPS (@PrincessElizPS) November 23, 2018
Royals – Wear your Pink Shirt! Friday November 23nd to support Anti- Bullying! @JohnFRoss @ugdsb @RossAthletics1 pic.twitter.com/hYTWsqYyIw
— RossPrincipal (@JFRPrincipal) November 22, 2018