Lynbrook Students Unite Against Bullying

By Rosemary Leonetti

Students from all over the Lynbrook School District took a stand against bullying during Unity Week, participating in activities to promote unity, respect, responsibility and character. 

The weeklong celebration was inspired by the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center’s Unity Day, celebrated on Oct. 9, which invites students across the country to come together and send a message of support to those who have experienced bullying. 

To kick off the celebration, the student body of Marion Street School took part in Pinwheels for Peace. Every student in the school created a colorful pinwheel and decorated it with personal wishes for world peace. Each class then gathered on the front lawn of the school to “plant” the pinwheels and sing "What a Wonderful World." Other activities of the week included a unity walk and an assembly in which students pledged to stand up to bullying.

In a unified effort to make the world a more peaceful place, the students at Waverly Park School dressed in orange, the official color of Unity Day. They began the day with their own Pinwheels for Peace celebration, which they closed with an anti-bully pledge.

At West End School, fifth-graders acted as role models, performing a skit for the entire school titled “Bully No More.” Illustrating how bullies can be changed into friends. The performers invited their younger peers to sing along with them in a celebration of unity. Students also participated in an assembly that encouraged them to stand up to bullying. 

The official color of Unity Day was on display throughout the building and grounds of Lynbrook North Middle School. When students entered the school, they were greeted by teachers wearing orange T-shirts that read, “Take a Stand, Lend a Hand,” setting the tone for a meaningful day of social engagement to promote tolerance and acceptance. Students wore orange bracelets, and the word “unity” was spelled out with orange cups on the fence in front of the school.    

Orange was also the color of the day at Lynbrook South Middle School, with students and staff donning orange T-shirts and bracelets to promote bullying awareness. Students passed through the halls in silence as peer leadership members read quotes, true-life stories and statistics pertaining to bullying. In classroom lessons throughout the school, students discussed what bullying is and why bullying prevention matters.

Even the district’s youngest students took part in the celebration. At the Lynbrook Kindergarten Center, students united against bullying and showed their support by wearing orange. The kindergartners sent one large, orange message of support to students who have experienced bullying. They also took part in a classroom lesson titled “I Am a Peacemaker.” Each class participated in a discussion and demonstration on how to be a peacemaker in school, at home and in their community.