Yellowknife (Dec 08/03) - Dianna Patryluk never wants to see school yard bullying out of control in the North.

That is one of the reasons the Ontario resident recently secured funding through social services in Cape Dorset to start a bullying education program for Sam Pudlat school and Peter Pitseolak school.

The bullying program is part of the Safety Net series of school programs used in Ontario schools.

"The feedback is really good," said Patryluk last week.

"In one class they have quite a few boys," she said. "When they started the program they would say, 'I like to bully,' and 'I'm a bully. I'm tough.' Now it's, 'I was good this week at home and I was good at school, too.'"

Ivan Payne, principal of Sam Pudlat school, said he is pleased the program is going over well with parents and students. "We have had response from parents who have called us because their children have been going home and talking about the program," said Payne. "They're very pleased that the children are being exposed to this."

The program runs until the end of March 2004, and is held in 13 classes at Sam Pudlat school (Grades kindergarten to Grade 7) and in seven classes at Peter Pitseolak school.

Bullying is not a huge problem in Cape Dorset, Payne said. But it does exist.

"Once in a while we have a little bit of bullying going on," said Payne. "Some of the older students bully the younger ones. Sometimes it's in their own peer group. Every now and then there's a fight," he added. "We thought this (program) would help them."

Patryluk said the heart-felt essays students have written since the program began five weeks ago have moved her to tears.

A Grade 4 student in the program wrote: "A bully thinks he or she is 'all that'. A bully can pick on someone who is pretty, caring, friendly, smart and who does good work at school. For example if I was smart, a bully would interrupt me, and I would always pray and wish bullying would stop.'"

The Cape Dorset radio station has gotten into the act, helping the program by making announcements, and helping Patryluk award prizes to callers.

"The first one who tells me what a bully is wins a prize," Patryluk explained. "Or maybe someone can call in and say 'I stopped a bully today.'"

Students can win fleece

Students can even win Polar fleece hats she is sewing just for the program participants.

Patryluk is even considering creating little pins about bully awareness that people can buy and wear in the community.

"The resource material (on bullying) is expensive," she said. "So we are trying to get more funding so this can go on longer," she said.

"The longer it lasts, the more it is heard, the more it's out there."