COURTESY
NORTH SUTTON — National Unity Day was founded by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in 2006 in an effort to prevent childhood bullying in schools and communities.
Every October, schools that participate are tasked with wearing orange as a way to demonstrate unity toward bullying prevention.
On Oct. 24, for the fifth year in a row, students in grades nine through 12, along with teachers and staff, donned orange tops and bottoms to send the unified message that bullying is not tolerated in the district. Posters encouraging inclusion and kindness were hung up throughout the building, and students stopped by a daily slideshow to learn more about Unity Day.
“We know that bullying has negative effects on students’ health and well being,” said high school social worker Theresa Georges. “Every year, Kearsarge High School takes a unified stance against bullying and works to educate students on how a simple act of kindness can have a lasting, positive impact on a person.”
As part of a friendly competition between students, the class that had the most participants wearing orange on Unity Day received points toward the district’s winter carnival competition — a week-long, school-wide event where grades compete in activities and events for points. This year, the sophomore class won winter carnival points for their collaboration on Unity Day.
In addition, Georges and Kearsarge Middle School counselor Ashley Goggins took a small group of students to the Youth Prevention Conference in Brentwood on Nov. 2 to learn more about substance misuse and how it can be prevented in the community. The group will take what they learned and share it with their peers throughout the district.
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