Carolyn Torrey
O
ur Counseling Department wanted to unite our district for a common cause. The idea came from an article we read about two high school students from Nova Scotia. These two juniors organized an anti-bullying day in support of a new ninth grade student who was being harassed for wearing a pink shirt. They distributed pink tee shirts to the boys in their school to wear on the same day to stand up for the new student. Our department wanted to create awareness about many issues so we decided to TAKE A STAND one day each month. An email was sent explaining our goal to the entire district. People were invited to buy a "safety pink" tee shirt with a bulldog paw (we are the Livonia Bulldogs) on the back, with TAKE A STAND printed across it. We decided which month would have what theme; September is TAKE A STAND with the “Power of One,� October is TAKE A STAND
School Counselor Livonia Central School, NY
against bullying, November is to give thanks, December is to lift peoples spirits, give hope and peace, January is pay it forward, February is to show you care, March is against exclusions, to be tolerant, April is to respect the environment, May is to finish strong, and June is to be safe. TAKE A STAND days are the third Wednesday of the month. I send out an email the previous Friday to remind people to wear pink. In the email I also write something educational about the theme and/or include though provoking quotes that can start a discussion in the classroom. Some teachers even design assignments around the TAKE A STAND theme. There are so many "little" things we are able to do that can have a "big" impact. This Best Practice is in it's fourth year and it includes everyone in our district. TAKE A STAND is creating awareness about everyday issues.