With the aim of spreading kindness and messages of anti-bullying, the school participated in Unity Day, a national event that promotes a message of inclusion and community building for students in America.
“The goal of Unity Day was to show a visual message of unity by having all of our campus wear orange to promote community,” Intervention coordinator and counselor Stephanie Bero said.
The choice to wear orange was not just a fashion statement but a visual display of unity and belonging. Those who participated and wore orange felt a part of something special and inspiring.
“The purpose was also to send an encouraging message to students, promote kindness, and provide ways to prevent bullying on campus,” Bero said.
Unity Day is promoted by the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center (PACER NBPC), offering resources to benefit all students. Unity Day was brought to the school to encourage students to spread positivity and learn more about anti-bullying.
“Unity Day is something that all schools and organizations can do,” Bero said, “You decide at your organization what you want to do with it.”
Bero and others in the counseling office are brainstorming ideas to support students well-being on campus. Each month is something different and there is always something new to look forward to. The month of September was dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness, and October’s main focus was anti-bullying and unity.
“September we did the suicide prevention and awarness month,” Bero said, “and October was Unity Day.”
Bero also said that upcoming events will focus on lessening student stress, with a stress-reduction day currently in the works for the future health and happiness of students at the school.
“Next month we have events planned to help with stress reduction,” Bero said. “There will be a day dedicated to limiting stress.”
These events address various aspects of student well-being and belonging, providing a sense of community for students. The office staff take into account what the current times might hold, and how certain times of the year bring different stresses for students.
“Each month we kind of look at what we think might be good to promote student wellness,” Bero said, “So each month there’s kind of something different.”
Participating and showing support on these days can not only be inspiring for students, but also motivational for staff and teachers as it makes the school a better place. Making an effort to engage in staff organized events such as Unity Day, and ones being held in the future helps cultivate a positive environment at the school and hopefully can be spread throughout the community.
