Special School District Students, Teachers Form Human Peace Symbol

On Monday afternoon, more than 300 students, teachers and administrators from  and in the Special School District emptied their classrooms to come together and form a human peace sign .

"I think it's a good idea, because we're combining both schools," Orlando Young, a junior at Northview, said. "We're working together to keep peace in our school and our community. The peace sign can mean friendship, love and support."

Adrienne Eaglin, a social worker at Northview, said, "It's a symbolic showing of unity in our country as well as in our schools."

After forming the peace symbol, Northview Principal Stephanie Valleroy spoke to the students and led them in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and taking an anti-bullying pledge.

To close the festivities, red, white and blue biodegradable balloons were released into the air as students and teachers raised their hands with peace signs.

In addition to the 9/11 tribute, staff from Northview wanted the event to be a positive step in their efforts to combat bullying.

"Character education is a foundation of everything we do here," Valleroy said.

"We take bullying prevention very seriously," Eaglin, who is also a co-chair of Northview's bullying prevention committee, said. "We have school-wide anti-bullying activities throught the school year, and all classrooms do citizenship, tolerance and respect activities."

The next big bullying prevention activities for the school include a "Minute to Win It" day and a "No Name Calling" day in November.