October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and Ridgefield schools across the district are holding awareness raising assemblies and events. But sometimes it’s hard for teachers and administrators to know the real-world impact of these campaigns. One mother shared a very sweet photo that shows just how well one student got the message. \r\n
\r\nAbbey Spading’s daughter, Audrey, was playing with her four-year-old sister. She overheard Audrey telling her sister about “being an upstander” but didn’t think too much about it. The next morning, she walked into her daughter’s room and saw the chalkboard. Audrey had carefully written down the important lessons of the “Be an Upstander” campaign to share with her little sister.\r\n
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\r\nUnion Ridge Elementary School third grader, Audrey Spading, not only learned her school's anti-bullying message--she shared it with her four-year-old sister.
The “Be an Upstander” campaign uses a character named Ned to show students how to go from being a bystander to being an upstander when they see bullying.
\r\n- Be a Buddy. Show friendship to the person being bullied.\r\n
- Interrupt. Interrupt the bullying when it starts.\r\n
- Speak Out. Say something against the bullying.\r\n
- Tell Someone. Tell an adult about it to keep people safe.\r\n
Ned’s name serves as a reminder for the things students can do to help: \r\n
\r\nNever give up on helping your school to be safe\r\n
\r\nEncourage others to be upstanders with you\r\n
\r\nDo your best with all the upstanding ways you can stop bullying at your school\r\n
\r\nAudrey’s mom was touched when she saw the chalkboard. “This just blew me away and melted my heart,” she said. Not only did Audrey learn the message, she shared it with her sister. And that is exactly how the anti-bullying message spreads: one student at a time.\r\n
\r\nRidgefield schools will celebrate Unity Day on October 23, where students unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Please wear orange for Unity Day to join Audrey in standing against bullying. \r\n