TOMS RIVER — October is National Bullying Prevention Month and Toms River Regional Schools are highlighting some of their anti-bullying efforts during the Week of Respect.
Mandated by the Department of Education, the Week of Respect is the week beginning with the third Monday in October of each year, designated as School Violence Awareness Week in New Jersey.
According to Michael Kenny, spokesperson for the Toms River Regional School District, National Bullying Prevention Month and the Week of Respect allow Toms River the opportunity to “expound upon what we do every day.”
“The Week of Respect, part of Anti-Bullying Month, offers staff and students a chance to highlight what the district preaches and practices throughout the year,” stated the district. From October 7-11, TRRS promoted respect, empathy, and equity with various activities.
In Beachwood, students participated in the Anti-Bully Walk. Pine Beach designated a Kindness Tree and kicked off the week with a Sheer Magic Assembly, “a show where elementary students learn the difference between tattling and telling, how to identify bully behavior, what to say to a bully, and how to safely but assertively help others who are being bullied,” stated the district. The Washington Street School preached “be a superhero, not a bully” with a superhero themed day, andthe Walnut Street School held a Compliment Car Wash.
On a day-to-day basis, Toms River Schools host trainings for teachers and administrators “that help students become more personally responsible and accountable,” present academic and inclusive programs aimed at building confidence, interpersonal skills, and breaking down barriers, as well as peer leadership programs, according to Kenny.
In addition, Silver Bay Elementary and Beachwood Elementary have therapy dogs and special anti-bullying programs like Stop the Drama and the Super Safe and Drug Free Committee.
Under the Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights, our schools are required to report all harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) and provide a detailed report on their bullying statistics, known as the HIB Self-Assessment.
[adrotate banner="278"]During the 2016-2017 school year, Toms River schools saw 113 confirmed HIB cases among 15,934 students, according to the state report.
In addition to the Week of Respect, National Bullying Prevention Month also encompasses Unity Day. Unity Day takes place on October 24 and everyone is encouraged to wear the color orange to take a stand against bullying.
