Anti-Bullying Week Reaches Out to Perse pupils
From paperchain pledges to podcasts, the message to ‘Reach Out’ struck a chord during Anti-Bullying Week at The Perse.
A series of events and activities on the theme of the national Anti-Bullying Alliance campaign, was organised by the Perse Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, starting off with Odd Socks Day, which saw many pupils wearing non-matching socks to celebrate individuality and difference.
The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors took assemblies encouraging pupils to ‘Reach Out’, as well as leading workshops for all Year 7 pupils.
Anti-Bullying Prefect Malachy Wallace (Upper Sixth) said: “It was great to speak directly to Year 7. We worked with them on the idea of being an upstander, not a bystander, and took them through a few scenarios to make them think about when banter becomes bullying and where to draw the line.”
Year 7 also learned about famous ‘upstanders’ and then made pledges of how they would be an upstander on strips of paper which were linked to form a long paperchain hung across the windows of the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre foyer.
Pupils also wrote messages of positivity on a ‘graffiti wall’ in the PAC foyer, while members of the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors group published a podcast reflecting on inclusion and bullying. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and most other platforms, but can also be accessed here.
Anti-Bullying Week concluded with ‘Feelgood Friday’ as youngsters had pictures taken with their friends in holding anti-bullying slogans or had a go at doing keepie-uppies with toilet rolls, rolled-up socks and jianzi (Chinese shuttlecocks).
Malachy said: “The whole purpose of the week was to raise awareness of the Anti-Bullying Alliance and standing up to bullying.
“It’s been a fantastic week with a mixture of education and bits of fun and I hope younger students who are new to the school will feel more confident and if they’re struggling at all, they know there are people who can help them out.”
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