Carson City Schools’ feature 'Week of Respect' activities help curb bullying
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 10/10/2022 - 9:26am
Per NRS 236.073, the first week of October (Oct. 3-7) is designated as the “Week of Respect.” In tow with the observance, the Carson City School District pledges to ensure consistent implementation of anti-bullying programs and practices in all schools and work environments.
“The ‘Week of Respect’ is the launching of a yearlong effort to enhance a safe and respectful learning environment,” said Andrew Feuling, superintendent for the Carson City School District. “One primary emphasis of the program is to ‘Be an Upstander,’ which essentially encourages students to stand up and take an active role against bullying.”
According to thebullyproject.com, an “upstander” is someone who recognizes when something is wrong and acts to make it right. When an upstander sees or hears about someone being bullied, they speak up. Being an upstander is being a hero: we are standing up for what is right and doing our best to help support and protect someone who is being hurt. In many ways, this is another word for being socially responsible.
Throughout the week, class curriculum and social activities were centered on the five standards of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) including self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills and social awareness. Events also prompted students to reflect on and share personal experiences of what respect means to them, how they give and receive respect and how they react when they perceive they are being disrespected.
The “Week of Respect” highlights skills and interactions that facilitate positive student relationships and empowers students to observe the impact they can make, simply by approaching each day from a place of treating others the way they wish to be treated.
Information about Nevada Law NRS 388.122-135 was provided to students and staff, which helped them more fully recognize bullying, how to report incidences when bullying occurs and the steps the district will take when allegations of bullying have been made.
“In today's world, it's important for our students to understand that we do not need to share the same opinion as others; however, we do need to learn to be respectful of other's opinions,” Superintendent Feuling said. “We hope the activities last week helped bring that concept to life for our students.”
