Bully Prevention Day
At Bernard Middle School we do not want to preach and promote "safe schools;" we want our students and faculty to thrive within one. Bully Prevention Day takes a proactive approach to bullying, addressing the issues before they become problems. It also addresses the fact that we know bullying occurs at Bernard, and what steps we can take as a school to help solve the problem. Teachers are given a variety of lessons to teach throughout the day that center around bullying behavior, bystanders (a.k.a. the caring majority), allies and what to do if you are a target. The lessons also involve the different types of bullying such as physical, verbal, psychological and cyber. Lessons include video clips from real-life situations, essays and writing prompts, student and teacher surveys, role-playing scenarios, technology lessons and appropriate computer usage, assemblies; all geared to address and eliminate bullying behaviors at Bernard Middle and beyond into the students lives outside of school. Data is collected yearly and has shown that bullying at Bernard has decreased in all areas of the school since 2008 (the first year Bully Prevention Day was held). The annual student survey also gives the student's perspective on where bullying most often occurs, so faculty and administration can address those problem areas of the building. The curriculum is designed so students attending Bernard Middle never see the same lesson twice, and teachers and students are incorporating these prevention behaviors and attitudes throughout the year. Bully Prevention Day has been a huge success at Bernard Middle and we will hopefully continue to see bullying decrease in the years to come.