SMS launches prevention program

Somers Middle School will kick off it’s new bullying prevention program with public assemblies Friday, Oct. 20, at the end of Red Ribbon Week.

The school is adopting the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which is a nationally and state recognized, research-based effort to reduce and prevent bullying. School officials have been considering the program for more than a year, partially spurred by the fact that end-of-the-year school climate surveys have shown bullying as something some students are concerned about, Principal Lori Schieffer said.

Five staff members attended trainings for it and then returned to lead two in-district trainings which have included not just teachers but all staff members.

“One of the reasons kids won’t report bullying is they think something won’t be done,” Schieffer said. “We want to make a unified front to show we are dedicated and committed as a staff.”

The program involves a set of rules as well as definitions of bullying. The rules include not bullying others, helping those who are bullied, not leaving others out, and telling an adult at home and at school if bullying is witnessed.

“By the end of the year, I hope to see more kids moving from being in the bystander role,” Schieffer said. “I want to see friendships develop and less exclusion.”

With the program, students join in weekly class meetings to learn about the effects of bullying, what they can do about it and how to work with adults to stop it. Those sessions will include discussions on topics such as cyber bullying. As part of the implementation of the program, the school will host a day of activities Friday, starting with an opening assembly at 8:45 a.m. and ending with a closing assembly at 2:45 p.m. in the school’s gym.

The assemblies will help introduce the program’s rules and components, and the team building activities throughout the rest of the day are designed to get students excited and involved. Those will include writing a song about a day at the middle school.

Community members are invited to attend either assembly or stop in throughout the day to witness the activities and learn more.

“We’re trying to involve the community in the program and get the kids excited so they buy in,” Schieffer said, noting that it is hoped that the program’s rules will be applied at activities outside of school like Boy Scouts and soccer practice.

RED RIBBON WEEK

Friday’s activities also mark the end of Red Ribbon Week, an annual week of activities that encourages youth to not use illegal drugs.

The week was actually kicked off Wednesday, Oct. 20, with an assembly and discovery day activities, where students headed out into the community.

Throughout the week, students have had and will continue to have dress-up days including camouflage, 70s clothes, inside-out and backward, crazy hair and school colors, all with drug-prevention themes.

On Monday, students signed pledge cards for drug prevention. Tuesday’s activity was a students versus staff volleyball game. Thursday students will wear sunglasses to “shade out drugs” as a sign that they will be drug free.

For more information, contact Schieffer at lschieffer@metnet.mt.gov or call the school at 857-3661.