This school year, a new initiative known as EPIC Anti-Bullying has been introduced to the junior high. The Senior High students who are a part of the psychology/therapy EPIC internship program at BSM came to talk to the Junior High students about ways they can prevent bullying, and make the Junior High a better place for students.
The student interns at BSM have been helping make the Junior High a more welcoming place. They have come into classrooms and presented lessons on anti-bullying. During these lessons, they talk about strategies that can prevent bullying or help overcome these hard situations. The interns also brought up different types of bullying and how bullying can occur. From these lessons, the interns have made more connections with the Junior High students. “I feel like I have gotten a lot closer to [the interns],” eighth grader Sienna Cohen said.
I do think it has made a difference because it makes people feel better about themselves, others, and how they feel about coming to school
— Sienna Cohen
The Junior High faculty has also been making some changes to help prevent bullying. Some new things they have done with the students are encouraging kids to be open and come talk to trusted adults if something is going on or bothering them. The Junior High also has an anonymous form that students can fill out online. They also added more rules to the handbook to help prevent bullying in the Junior High. Due to these changes, the Junior High is already seeing a big difference in kids’ behavior. The Junior High faculty thinks that the incoming seventh grader class has been doing really well. “We haven’t heard of any big, big situations yet,” Junior High Counselor Sarah Kelly said.
Even students have been seeing the changes in Junior High. They have been noticing that other students are more welcoming and considerate of the other students’ feelings.
Students think there is now more awareness on the topic of bullying, and due to this, there is less and less bullying that happens. The kids have noticed the more inclusive and outgoing students and environment in the Junior High this year. It’s been making a better place for students to come to school and be themselves. “I do think it has made a difference because it makes people feel better about themselves, others, and how they feel about coming to school,” Cohen said.