Rainbow Schools will mark Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week from November 18 to 22, 2024. Educational activities and lessons are part of Rainbow District School Board’s ongoing commitment to safe and inclusive schools.
In 2022, the Board piloted the Dare to Care anti-bullying program in 12 schools. Last year, the program was expanded to all schools from Kindergarten to Grade 9.
“In Rainbow Schools, we build responsible and respectful citizens who care about each other and the world in which they live,” says Director of Education Bruce Bourget.
He adds: “When students feel safe and supported, in warm and welcoming learning environments, they gain a sense of belonging at school. Well-being is essential for student achievement.”
Rainbow District School Board’s commitment to student success is reflected in Strategic Directions through its renewed mission: “Together, we prepare students to become lifelong learners, achieving their full potential as confident, caring members of society.”
Here’s what’s happening in Rainbow Schools for Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week:
A.B. Ellis Public School
Students from A.B. Ellis Public School have been working diligently to create a mural titled “Lift Each Other Up”. The mural will have an imprint of each student’s hand that will serve as a reminder of the importance of embracing, accepting and celebrating individuality and inclusivity. Grade 3 students helped determine how large the mural would need to be using mathematical predictions and calculations. As a way to promote the core values and messages from the Dare to Care program, staff and students have formed a “Kindness Krew Klub” that will work to spread kindness and encouragement to others. The group will also reinforce the message that kindness is not one single act of kindness, but rather an approach and mindset for all that we do including how we interact with each other. On Friday, November 22nd, students are encouraged to wear funky, odd socks – an opportunity to have fun and be unique by being respectful and kind.
Adamsdale Public School
A Community Resource Officer with Greater Sudbury Police Service will visit some classes at Adamsdale Public School on Monday, November 18th as a guest reader. On Tuesday, November 19th, staff will host a Dare to Care assembly. Throughout the week, students will participate in a kickstart party and daily challenges that encourage kindness, including giving someone a compliment, writing someone a kind note, offering to help, picking up garbage in or around the school without being asked, and making someone smile, telling them a joke, helping them if needed, or asking them to play. Staff will complete a ballot for each student caught being kind, then will pick three names per day to win a prize.
Algonquin Road Public School
For Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, students from Algonquin Road Public School will focus on learning about all things “kind”. Throughout the week, students are invited to take part in a “Kindness Meter Daily Challenge”. “Kindness First Aid Stations” will be placed around the school for motivation, including “Band-Aids” with uplifting messages for students. To culminate the week, members of Student Council will deliver hot chocolate with kind messages to classes.
Assiginack Public School
Students from Assiginack Public School focus on kindness and anti-bullying throughout the school year, starting with Pink Shirt Day as a school-wide initiative. The day sparked conversations about the origin of the event and laid the foundation for the Dare to Care anti-bullying program that began in October. Through the program, students have considered what kind and positive behaviour looks like. Students have played “Kindness Bingo”, given and received “Happy Mail” by getting caught in the act of kindness, shared kindness and positivity tags such as “Every day is a day to shine. Shine on.”, and engaged in a daily trivia contest focused on the differences between bully and buddy behaviour. Beyond Dare to Care, students are learning about the positive impact they can have by applying kind and positive actions in the broader community, including their work with the Terry Fox Run and the Remembrance Day ceremonies held at the local Cenotaph.
C.R. Judd Public School
Students from C.R. Judd Public School will participate in a spirit week aimed at bullying awareness and prevention. The week will begin with “Sock it to Bullying!” where students are invited to wear crazy socks. Classes will engage in random acts of kindness and will receive “shout outs” during announcements. Kindergarten students will add a leaf to their kindness tree for each act of kindness. Intermediate students will learn about the importance of maintaining healthy relationships and setting boundaries. They will also discuss how they can make noise to stop bullying. “Dare to Care” days will continue, where classes come together to learn the anti-bullying curriculum.
Central Manitoulin Public School
Central Manitoulin Public School students will start Bullying Prevention Week by wearing bright colours to support our commitment to “Making a Brighter Future”. To share their uniqueness, students will create personalized shoes that will be placed together to demonstrate that they are standing up, standing strong, and standing together to stop bullying. Throughout the week, all classes will continue with the Dare to Care programming.
Charles C. McLean Public School
At Charles C. McLean Public School students will continue their work with Dare to Care. To date, they have covered a number of topics including an overview of bullying, types of bullying, bullying vs. mean moments, why bullying exists, finding your greatness, the importance of being kind and the positivity meter. Acts of kindness and helpful actions are celebrated with “Happy Mail” sent to families by teachers. During the monthly assembly, students who exhibited the monthly character trait of “community” were recognized. Grade 7/8 drama students will work in small groups on “Reader’s Theatre” with bullying prevention themes. Students will practice in class and will turn them into skits that will be presented. Audience members will review the skits and advertise them as classroom presentations. Grade 2 students will finalize the “Families & Traditions Unit” and will begin another focused on the “Medicine Wheel” and “Zones of Regulation”. Dare to Care lessons will be used in classes to encourage dialogue about being a kind person and friend.
Chelmsford Valley District Composite School
All students from Chelmsford Valley District Composite School will take part in classroom activities throughout Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Elementary students will dive deep into the Dare to Care program. Grade 9 and 10 students will also participate in a “Power of Words” workshop hosted by Future North.
Churchill Public School
Churchill Public School will participate in many activities throughout Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Students will continue with the divisional Dare to Care assemblies with a focus on understanding the different types of bullying and strategies to deal with bullying situations. Kindergarten students will read the book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” and will discuss how we can contribute in the classroom, school, and community to make others feel good by “filling up buckets”. Junior students will participate in shared readings including “My Secret Bully” and “Fan Club”. Drama scripts and scenarios about bullying will be used to help students understand what to do in different situations. Students will also learn to use the THINK strategy of mindful communication, which asks five key questions to ensure comments are appropriate, including “Before I speak, write or type, I think. Is this… true? helpful? important? necessary? kind?”
Jean Hanson Public School
Students at Jean Hanson Public School will read books to promote the importance of being yourself and being kind to each other. A video compilation will be shared with all classes of students and staff who were caught being kind. Some classes will also continue working on the Dare to Care program to engage students in age-appropriate discussions about bullying.
Lasalle Secondary School
Each morning, students from Lasalle Secondary School will be presented with information that addresses bullying and how to support someone being bullied. Intermediate students will read “Lunch from Home” and will focus on various forms of bullying including physical, verbal and cyberbullying. Students will explore how to be more inclusive and accepting, and discussions will take place around stereotypes and how to unpack them. Students will also work on a drama activity and will read a narrative about bullying.
Levack Public School
During Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, students from Levack Public School will enjoy many read alouds such as “Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon,” “The Recess Queen,” “Try a Little Kindness,” and “One” by Kathryn Otoshi. Classes will discuss bullying, allyship and mean moments. Kindergarten students will complete kind word crafts and post them to promote meaningful discussions. “Kindness Ballots” will be read during announcements to celebrate kind moments and actions, and Dare to Care assemblies will continue with topics such as the power of kindness.
Lockerby Composite School
During Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, Grade 9 students from Lockerby Composite School will take part in Future North’s programming, which will assist students in recognizing the power and impact of discriminatory language. Students will learn about the consequences associated with negative actions towards others, with an overall goal to help students understand the important role they play in creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all – centered around respect, kindness, and acceptance of differences.
Monetville Public School
Monetville Public School will kick off Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week with a “Kindness First” assembly. The event will coincide with the Holiday Food Drive set to take place from Monday, November 18th to Thursday, December 12th. Morning announcements will reinforce learning about bullying and the various types. Students will continue their learning through the Dare to Care program, and the ongoing Monetville House Families.
Princess Anne Public School
Princess Anne Public School will continue to promote kindness and anti-bullying with Dare to Care. Staff and students will continue with the “Caught You Caring” initiative started by the Dare to Care Crew, who will also create educational videos about being an ally. Ms. Johnson, the school Library Clerk, will promote kindness for Kindergarten to Grade 4 students with read alouds of “Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell and “The Proudest Blue” by Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali.
Queen Elizabeth II Public School
All Kindergarten to Grade 6 students from Queen Elizabeth II Public School will continue to engage in the Dare to Care program. Students will learn the importance of working together to create safe and inclusive learning environments, where everyone feels accepted, respected and ready to learn.
R.H. Murray Public School
Staff and students at R.H. Murray Public School will celebrate one of the Seven Grandfather Teachings – Love – for the month of November. Students caught doing something kind or caring will receive a golden ticket, collecting points for their coloured house. The “Coloured House” program builds a sense of community, responsibility, belonging and spirit with students, staff and the greater community. Various events will take place throughout the week to encourage students to gain points for their coloured house. Members of the Greater Sudbury Police will visit the school to share information around bullying that ties into the Dare to Care program.
R.L. Beattie Public School
Throughout Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, R.L. Beattie Public School will celebrate with a series of engaging and meaningful activities led by the Kindness Club. Students will create short videos showcasing ways to handle bullying situations, contribute to a “Kindness Chain” by adding their handprints to a collaborative art project, and design “Beattie Best Stickers” that promote anti-bullying messages. Students will also have the opportunity to earn and distribute “Beattie Bracelets” when they are caught being kind. These activities aim to foster kindness and respect, helping students understand the importance of standing up against bullying and creating a supportive school environment where students can learn and thrive.
Redwood Acres Public School
At Redwood Acres Public School, students and staff are actively engaged in the Dare to Care program. Students are encouraged to recognize positive qualities and talents of others as well as themselves, which are read over the morning announcements and posted on the Dare to Care bulletin board. All students continue to be challenged to “dare to care” for others.
S. Geiger Public School
During Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, students from S. Geiger Public School will gather in the gym for an assembly that highlights behaviours and actions that demonstrate kindness, and the importance of respect for ourselves and each other. Students will contribute to a bulletin board featuring acts of kindness. The board will demonstrate how students are working together to create inclusive learning environments where everyone feels safe and accepted. Those students “caught being kind’ will have their names entered in a draw. Students will also take part in “Filling the bucket” by collecting items, pom poms, gems, rocks, etc. Through this initiative, students are learning the importance of working together towards a common goal. Read alouds and activities that model kindness and respect will be highlighted throughout the week during morning announcements and in classrooms.
Valley View Public School
Staff and students at Valley View Public School will recognize Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week with continued engagement in the “Eagle Spirit Education” initiative that focuses on embracing the Seven Grandfather Teachings and Dare to Care. The eagle, the school mascot and a symbol of love and leadership, will be painted in the main foyer. Throughout the year, names of individuals who demonstrate leadership in exemplifying the Seven Grandfather Teachings and embracing “the good way of life” will be acknowledged with feathers that will be added to the painted eagle. The week will culminate with all students participating in the “Dare to Care Hour” with their teachers followed by a school-wide assembly.
Walden Public School
Walden Public School students will work with the Dare to Care program. Weekly assemblies will help students continue their learning about what bullying behaviour looks like, sounds like, as well as ways to stop it. The school’s kindness warriors will be highlighted daily during morning announcements.
Westmount Avenue Public School
In honour of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, staff and students from Westmount Avenue Public School will be reminded about what friendship looks and feels like. Daily announcements will include images of staff and students demonstrating these characteristics, as well as songs and stories that showcase these qualities.
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