Newburgh Enlarged City School District Partners with No Name-Calling Week
Initiative Enforces Anti-bullying in Schools and Community
The Newburgh Enlarged City School District recently partnered with No Name-Calling Week, a national movement designed to promote anti-bullying, diversity and tolerance for all. No Name-Calling Week was held in the Hudson Valley from Mon., January 30 until Fri., February 3, 2012.
Schools across the NECSD, joined with other districts and municipalities across Orange County, to develop special initiatives focuses on teaching tolerance, open-mindedness and anti-bullying toward all students. In addition to lessons and initiatives, No Name-Calling signs and banners were showcased throughout the buildings.
Horizons on the Hudson Magnet School, an International Baccalaureate World School, commemorated the event by hosting several activities throughout the week. Students made “No Name-Calling” chains with messages illustrating how name calling can hurt and made pledges to respect fellow schoolmates. The "No Name-Calling" chains were displayed over the door ways and in the hallways as visual reminders in addition to posters and signs.
Mid-week the International Baccalaureate Coordinator and Instructional Coach, David Brown, led a school-wide reading of a book titled “One”, which emphasizes the importance of friends standing together and dealing with the issue of bullying in a safe and positive manner.
Across town at Meadow Hill Global Explorations School, No Name-Calling Week was also used as a teaching tool to promote positive relationships among all members of the Meadow Hill community. Administrators, teachers, support staff and students were involved in various activities that focused on developing and maintaining a positive and safe environment. As a building, initiatives such as having daily announcements which promoted activities such as being “Bucket Fillers”, the “Help Box” and peer mediation strategies helped teach tolerance for all grade levels. Posters, created by the Honor Society and Student Government students, were placed throughout the building to showcase the school’s support of the initiative.
On Wednesday, February 1, 2012, Meadow Hill and select buildings across the NECSD, participated in, “Call Me by One Name, My Name”, where students were encouraged to wear name tags displaying their names. Then later in the week on Friday, Meadow Hill students and staff donned the color purple, the national anti-bullying color, to demonstrate the staff and students’ united front against bullying.
“Meadow Hill is working to be pro-active in educating adults and students about bullying prevention and how to problem solve through situations and make positive, safe choices,” explained Assistant Principal Margaret Chesser.
No Name-Calling Week comes prior to the launch of the Dignity for All Students Act which goes into effect July 1, 2012 in New York State. New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) aims to offer public elementary and secondary school students in New York State with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying.
