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The bullying stops here! Students raise their voices against unacceptable actDarrell Greer Northern News Services Published Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Every Grade 7, 8 and 9 student at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) was given a T-shirt with the slogan, bullying stops here, boldly emblazoned across the front with their MUI logo. The T-shirts were donated by Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. Teacher Harold Peach said the T-shirt giveaway is a continuation of the Canadian Red Cross Respect-Ed anti-bullying program delivered to MUI teachers in October of 2011. He said that was followed by a group of students at the school also being trained in the program. "Since then, those students have gone into some of the classes to talk to their classmates about bullying," said Peach. "Every student in the school also received a stand up to bullying wrist bracelet in support of the program. "The students seem to be quite receptive to the program so far and are realizing bullying is not acceptable at this school." Peach said MUI students always give 100 per cent when they buy into a program. He said a number of students who are involved in the anti-bullying program know as much about it as he does. "We'll be having a pink shirt campaign for students in all three of our schools after Easter, and I asked a couple of classes if they knew what the pink shirts were all about. "Many of them knew about the pink shirt and ribbons being associated with fighting cancer, but others actually knew of how this particular campaign got started when a boy in Grade 9 went to school wearing a pink shirt in Nova Scotia. "A lot of the other boys made fun of him and, the next day, 50 of his friends cane to school with pink T-shirts. "We tell our students no one has the right to say negative things to you, regardless of the colour of your shirt, how you look or anything else." Peach said students at MUI are starting to realize when bullying takes place, it's bystanders who have the power to stop it, not teachers. He said friends have to stand up for each other and tell bullies what they're doing is bad and unacceptable. "The program appears to be working very well at our school. "The students are becoming more and more aware that it's not good to be bullied and, just as the T-shirts say, the bullying stops here."
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