Posted December 14, 2011

Top: Students and staff show off their black shirts in a show of unity against bullying. Bottom: SJHS principal Dr. Russell Moore (left) and social studies teacher Ken Rizzo stand united against bullying.

Black shirts littered the Shaker Junior High School hallways on Wednesday in a show of unity against bullying.

Wear Black Day is part of the Stand Up against bullying initiative that has been undertaken at SJHS this year. The initiative focuses on activities that support kids and makes clear that SJHS is a safe building and when a student needs to talk to an adult, someone will always be there for them.

“We tend to focus less on bullying and the victims and focus more on everyone standing up for one another,” SJHS counselor Stacey Angell said. “We want the students to be allies rather than bystanders.”

Bullying and cyberbullying lessons are taught to all students in SJHS through the guidance department, home and careers classes, as well as health classes.

“We’ve coordinated an assembly on bullying and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes,” Angell said. “In November, Mike Donahue (motivational speaker and author) came and spoke to our entire student body. He also directed leadership sessions with seventh and eighth graders.”

The Dignity for All Students Act was enacted in 2010 to protect New York State’s public school students from harassment and bullying. The Act requires school districts to:

• Revise their codes of conduct and adopt policies intended to create a school environment free from harassment and discrimination;

• Adopt guidelines to be used in school training programs to raise awareness and sensitivity of school employees to these issues and to enable them to respond appropriately; and

• Designate at least one staff member in each school to be trained in non-discriminatory instructional and counseling methods and handling human relations.

“We want each and every child to feel safe everyday when the come into our school building,” Angell said. “Every child has this right and we want them to realize that the adults are here to support them.”