NEW GLASGOW – Grade 6 students at Temperance Street at Brown School spent the morning Friday with Const. Becky Heighton of New Glasgow Regional Police Services learning about how to stop bullying.
Heighton held the session with the students as part of the Red Cross program RespectEd, which they are implementing this year through the Red Cross. RespectEd is violence and abuse prevention program that says education is the key to preventing bullying and other forms of abuse.
Heighton said the program had its first year at Trenton Middle School seven or eight years ago and it has since spread to New Glasgow Junior High School, which is in its second year of the program.
The Grade 6 Students learned from Const. Heighton what bullying is, what they should do when they see bullying happen and how to be leaders in the anti-bullying program.
When asked what she learned during the session, Grade 6 student Hayley Quinn said, “When people are on the playground, they can stop bullying. If they don’t listen to them, they can tell a teacher.”
All the students agreed that they liked taking part in the program and they’re going to work together to stop bullying in the school.
“It’s a good idea,” student Emily Rafuse said. “I think it will help out.”
Grade 6 students in the program will take turns wearing reflective vests donated by the New Glasgow Regional Police Services and patrolling the playground in pairs. The vests are meant to point out to students on the playground who to ask help from when they see or experience bullying.
“The Grade 6s are taking up a leadership role at the school and they’re going to take turns patrolling the playground at lunch time,” Heighton said.
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