October 23rd was UNITY DAY. This is a day wherein students focused on kindness, inclusion and acceptance. Students were asked to wear orange as a symbol of color against bullying.
According to Paula Goldberg, Executive Director of PACER Center, (A National Bullying Prevention Center from www.pacer.org) the color orange “…provides a powerful, visually compelling expression of solidarity.”
At Orion Junior High, teachers and administrators were handing out RAK cards or Random Acts of Kindness cards. On the backside, students were asked to initial the cards and perform an act of kindness for someone else. Taking a stand against bullying through doing random acts of kindness is powerful.
Pioneer Elementary students were given the time to go outside and write messages of kindness and uplifting thoughts with chalk on the school grounds. Sayings such as, “Friends are like sunshine…they will always make you smile!” And, “Follow what you believe in and hope your dreams come true. Hope is the key to life!”
Orion Junior High had positive, upbeat posters with messages hanging on the windows of the school to remind students about Unity Day.
Messages such as, “Be Kind online”, “We are all neighbors. Be kind. Be gentle.” “Students Against Bullying…Don’t be a bystander, speak up. Use peer pressure for good. If you see bullying, report it. Stand together and make bullying unacceptable.”
Saying a word of “Thanks” goes a long way. Keeping the UNITY DAY feeling going amongst the schools and helping each other feel included is important. Remember, bullying is never acceptable behavior.
