School board members, superintendents, teachers, and parents can play a critical role in creating a climate where bullying is not tolerated. It has been proven when adults and children stand together, bullying ends. This is why the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) has declared October to be Bullying Prevention Month.
Childhood bullying is a significant problem nationwide. It can cause school absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and, in some cases, school violence. Over twenty percent of all school-aged children are bullied each year-upwards of thirteen million students.
School Director, Dr. Bob Lowerre stated, “at MLWGS, any form of bullying is completely unacceptable and is in clear opposition of our goal that all of our students feel welcomed in our community. Bullying hurts everyone and had long-lasting effects. We will take all allegations of bullying seriously and work to eliminate this phenomenon from our school.”
Maggie Walker’s activities that address anti-bullying are included in our suicide prevention presentations and are in the student code of conduct. Our health and PE classes cover relevant topics including anti-violence, interpersonal relationships, negotiation, and compromise. Counselors augment points covered in the health and PE classes through individual and group sessions.
Proclamation on Anti-Bullying 2020, adopted by the Executive School Board, September 17, 2020.
