October is known as National Bully Prevention Month and Greene County School District is participating in a variety of ways.

There will be anti-bullying messages read daily at the elementary school. At the middle school, students will be asked to sign a pledge to not be a bystander when they see a classmate being bullied and the staff are wearing t-shirts with the saying “I’ve Got Your Back” on the back of the shirts. As for the high school, students will be engaged in bullying prevention activities for two weeks of the month during advisory time and they are putting up footprints with facts about bullying all throughout the building.

The School Board heard about several other developments that the guidance counselors are doing at their meeting earlier this month. Teresa Skalla is teaching kids at the elementary how to tell if someone is being bullied when the behavior is unwanted, on purpose and repeated. She also makes routine check-ins with each class at least once per month to address the topic. Students are also taught to use a “buddy bench” at recess time, and if they see a kid sitting on the bench, they have to invite that child to play with them and that child can not deny the request.

Students at the intermediate school are learning to correct or stop a bullying situation as soon as they see it and they are learning in life skills classes how to use words that fit into being a good person.

Middle School Counselor Kelly Delagardelle told the Board that in addition to being a more active bystander, they are also covering cyberbullying and sexting issues. They have also implemented a Ram Referral program where a student’s parents would receive a positive referral notice when their child earns a positive referral.

Finally, at the high school, Safe Schools Grant Coordinator Emily Gannon said they do several activities related to bullying during advisory times and students are engaging in different clubs and organizations, which can also help to decrease bullying situations.

Superintendent Tim Christensen encourages students to be involved in clubs or extracurricular activities.

“The more involved students are, the more relationships they have with other students and the faculty and staff, the safer environment we have. We traditionally think of extracurricular activities, but the clubs are another opportunity for students to get involved.”

All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear a blue shirt on Monday in support of World Day of Bully Prevention.