Croton Students Embrace Bullying Prevention on Unity Day

From the Croton-Harmon schools

The Croton-Harmon School District celebrated Unity Day on Oct. 22. Students in each school took part in activities and assemblies emphasizing a bullying prevention message.

View a video about the Croton-Harmon Schools’ Unity Day on the district website.

At Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School, “We wanted to keep it very developmentally appropriate, so we focused on friendship and how to be a good friend,” said Assistant Principal Kerri Bianchi.

Activities at CET included The Kids on the Block puppet show, which featured characters with disabilities and reminded students to treat everyone equally. Fourth-graders also created paper dolls with sentences explaining what friendship means to them.

At Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School, students vowed to take a stand against bullying by creating a signed orange unity chain and a tower featuring hand-drawn pictures of people who represent positive role models.

Croton-Harmon High School was the first high school in the country to adopt the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program on Unity Day. The school also welcomed back Dr. Michael Fowlin, whose dynamic presentation featuring a number of characters reminded students they don’t always know someone’s personal circumstances.

“We are a school community, we need to look out for each other, we need to care for each other, we need to make sure everyone is comfortable,” said CHHS Principal Alan Capasso.

PHOTO: Students at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School were both entertained and educated by The Kids on the Block puppet show. Courtesy Croton-Harmon school district