MANNING Primary School students helped to spread awareness that bullying is not acceptable as part of Bullying No Way Day last week .
Coinciding with a community barbecue to welcome new parents to the school, more than 200 children took part in an arts project, with each painting a rock that will be used to create a colourful pathway leading to the school’s ‘buddy’ bench.
The ‘buddy’ bench was installed in 2016 as a visible place for students who felt isolated, troubled or upset to be noticed, gain peer support and build new friendships.
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READ NOWPrincipal Craig Ashby said the project was a fun and educational way for students to pledge their support to the schools no bullying policy.
“Bullying is something that is simply not tolerated in our school and this initiative was all about inclusion and acceptance,” he said.
“Allowing students to paint a rock was a fun and educational way for them to pledge their support to the initiative and had the added bonus that they could see their creation as a permanent feature at the school.
“We expect the designs from students to be colourful and as unique as the many personalities they came from which in itself shows that diversity is something to be celebrated.”
In its eighth year, Bullying No Way Day is a nationally initiative for schools, students and the community to collectively say no to bullying and violence.
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