AOMS completed their pledge signing as part of their Waking Up Courage Assembly, which is a powerful, student-centered experience that enlists, unites, and empowers students to take a stand and speak up when they see bullying and violence among their peers. This presentation delivers a compelling and consistent message to all students that bullying is never tolerated, and silence isn’t either. It introduces them to youth-friendly language and skills they can use to safely and effectively defuse, deescalate and stop bullying behavior. Students then had an opportunity to sign the pledge to work towards being a school that is free from hate and a place where all students belong.
At AOMS, for their first activity, the No Place for Hate Committee organized empathy circles in each classroom to improve student understanding of empathy, develop more direct connections to others, see a decrease in negative student interactions on campus, and improve classroom culture
At AOMS, the No Place for Hate Committee is focused on addressing schoolwide hate/bullying/mistreatment through adult intervention as well by amplifying student voice. To support this work, AOMS will provide a screening of The Upstanders to support the building of a positive school culture and to provide resources to stand up to inappropriate behavior. The school will hold a screening first for parents and the community after school. Students will then view the film during school hours. The film highlights the impact of bullying and exclusionary behavior and also provides ways in which students can make a difference in their school community. After students view the film, they will debrief with teachers in their advisory and share reflections on a Google Form.