Ivor Walters Primary School Celebrates Anti-Bullying In A Big Way

On Wednesday 27th October, the Ivor Walters Primary School brought the curtains down on its one week of Anti-bullying Awareness activities.

The week Monday 25th to Friday 29th October was dubbed the Ivor Walters Primary School Anti-bullying Spirit Week. Activities included:
-Anti-bullying Rally, pledge and jingle
-Anti-bullying Tag sales
-Anti-bullying Poster making
-Anti-bullying Creative Expressions
-Caught doing Something Good Day, and
-Bullying Awareness T-shirt Day
During the month of October, is is customary that the school joins with the world to bring awareness to, and campaign against the social ill of Bullying.

Present was the school’s education officer, Mr. Shefton Luburd who joined in the march and gave his full support. The school’s principal, Mrs. Janice Whitakker-Richards lead the Anti-bullying March, opened with a word of prayer and delivered warm greetings.

This year, under the guidance of the school counsellor, Ms. Shevonne Lowe, and the support of the entire faculty, the Anti-bullying Spirit Week activities were initiated and served as an enrichment of on-going efforts to cultivate and and preserve a culture of character and peace by nurturing the children’s emotional, social and ethical development through skills and confidence building.

According to the Guidance Counsellor, Ms. Lowe, “The activities help the bully…the victim and any witnesses involved develop a deeper awareness of themselves, resilience, compassion and a greater ability to regulate their emotional responses”.

She posited, “..while there has been a significant decrease of incidences of bullying over the past 3-4 years at the school, one incident is one too many,” and continues to solicit the support of the entire school community-students, educators, other members of staff, parents and other civic minded people, as well as the nation at large to partner with the school to get rid of the social ill of bullying.

Counsellor Lowe’s clarion call is very timely, since the school has joined with the nation to mourn the passing of two of its past students, Xavier Howell and Shaheem Clarke, who prematurely and tragically lost their lives just recently.

“We must take a moment and ponder…how did we get to a place where our young people believe their only recourse in stressful situations is to take the life of another human being. The perpetrator or perpetrators of such devious act were once babies…they were once little boys and girls who were once students of a school…”

Bullying is not ‘just a fact of life’ or a ‘rite of passage’. Therefore, we must not wait for something serious to happen or for someone we know and love to get hurt to join in this fight.

The Principal and staff of the Ivor Walters Primary School, aka “The Home of Stars” continues to champion this cause. They understand the importance of teaching our children to practice mindfulness and are very intentional about it.

The Principal and staff of the Ivor Walters Primary School wishes to extend sincere gratitude to this year’s sponsors and supporters:

• CEquip Rentals
• Bull Gym
• Corril’s Unique Clothing Designs
• Mr. Delly Ranks who composed the jingle “Together We Stand Against All Bullying”
  -The Department of Education, and
  -The Parents, students and staff