Young students at Spring Creek Adventist School learned how to stop bullying at the WITS presentation this morning from several community leaders.
The program, which stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help, had children hear stories about bullying from local adults, learn a secret handshake and become special constables with badges given to them by Terrace RCMP community policing officer Const. Angela Rabut.
It’s a joint project between Terrace RCMP and Terrace and District Community Services Society’s Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
Terrace mayor Dave Pernarowski told the students about how he was afraid of a bully when he was a young boy.
First Nations Community Policing officer Const. Jennifer Spetch of Terrace RCMP told the students about one day when she felt like the queen of her school and when a Grade 1 student was in her way, she, being a bigger Grade 3 student, pushed the smaller student out of her way, which made her a bully.
The student went to seek help by telling the principal and Spetch, who adored the principal, felt ashamed when he asked her why she pushed the other student and she had no answer for him. She never bullied anyone again.
The students heard a story about a walrus who befriended a boy who had no friends, told by city councillor Brian Downie while pictures from the story were shown on a screen.
Monica Watson of Big Brothers and Big Sisters was on hand for the event as well.
Rabut said that community leaders like herself would be visiting the school during the year to check on how the students were doing with what they had learned.
Teachers will also be presenting WITS information to their students in classes.
The program, put on at other local schools, was done today for Pink Shirt / Anti-Bullying Day.