FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – This October, schools across the Valley are observing National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal is to stop bullying through education and promoting kindness.
“You shouldn’t bully because it sticks with you forever, and it does affect people a lot,” said Ayer Elementary 6th grader Winter Burnett.
“I learned that bullying can be in any form, cyber bullying, emotional bullying, mental bullying and physical bullying,” shared Ayer’s 6th grader Kaliyanne Ham.
At Ayer Elementary in Fresno, each week in October has been intentionally scheduled to educate students about bullying and to help build their confidence. “Because if you love yourself and you care about yourself, then you can then care for someone else too,” explained 5th grade teacher Veneka Randles. “We like, made hearts about like things we love about ourselves,” added Burnett.
From educational PowerPoints, dress-up days, and artwork hung on the walls, students at Ayer are working hard to become kinder peers and someone others can lean on. “I give everybody a smile if they’re sad, ask them what happened. If everybody needs a hug. I gave them a hug, you know, So I’d just be there for everybody,” added Ayer’s 6th grader Daleyza Castillo.
Randles shared that throughout the month, they even include parents. “Because then they know that we’re here, we have support systems in place for their kids. And that, you know, we don’t take it lightly.”
In the North Valley, the Los Banos Unified School District also sees the positive impact when educating families as a whole. “In looking at our data with suspensions, expulsions and major incidents, it’s actually gone down,” explained Felipe Meraz, Los Banos Unified Director of Student Services.
The district has partnered with a third-party company, SmartSocial which hosts live, online events for the parents, also offered in Spanish.
Meraz says more than half of the parents within the district either only speak Spanish or is their first language and what they feel most comfortable speaking. “The fact that the parents know that is there, definitely, actually, you know, has expanded the communication with our community.”
