HMK students in Neepawa stand up against bullying

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Published on Thursday, November 22, 2012

By: Kate Jackman-Atkinson

myWestman.ca

Last Thursday, Grade 5 and 6 students at HMK took part in a special anti-bullying assembly as part of bullying awareness and education week.

In addition to the students, members of the Neepawa Natives hockey team, peer helpers from NACI and members of the ‘Our Home, Our Team, 23 Years Proud’ committee took part.

As part of the assembly, students read their anti-bullying essays and Grade 6 students performed skits about how to deal with bullying and bullies. They also spent time working in small groups, which included committee members, peer helpers and Neepawa Natives, discussing how they would deal with examples of bullying. 

The 15 questions in the discussion scenarios included questions such as what they would do if they saw someone being bullied; what they would do if they were being bullied and what they would do if a friend was being bullied.

HMK teacher Sylvie Tomoniko explained, “We want to get the students to think about the message and how to apply it… We believe [that the children] have a voice and if we give them a chance, they will speak it loudly. Today, we heard their voice in different ways.”

Tomoniko added that they want to make sure that they keep the conversation about bullying going and ensure that students have the tools they need to combat bullying and educate the people around them. Through events such as this, she explained, the students feel that they play a part of the larger community and that they are playing a role in making it a better place.

In photo: Part of the assembly included a skit by Grade 6 students about ways of dealing with bullying, such as talking to a friend. Photo by Kate Jackman-Atkinson