NEW PROGRAM Schools mount an effort to put an end to bullying

A telephone number will be set up to report bullying.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- The city school district will launch a districtwide anti-bullying campaign in the fall.
Diane Brest, head teacher at Hermitage Elementary, was named to chair the committee organizing the campaign, and she and her subcommittee chairmen outlined their efforts before the school board this week.
Superintendent Karen Ionta said she came up with the idea for the campaign more than a year ago.
"We just thought we would take a proactive approach," she said.
Schools need to teach kids to be empathetic to others' feelings and Hermitage has the means to do that, she said.
"It's one of our social issues in this country," Ionta said, noting all of the emphasis on violence in schools.
It's not that Hermitage has a problem worse than any other school district, she said, adding that she has always thought that, if she had a magic wand, the one thing she would do would have all pupils be nice to one another.
"We know that bullying is a problem," Brest said, referring to the nationwide concern about bullying in the schools.
October kickoff
Her committee began working on a local curriculum to deal with it in January and plans a kickoff for Oct. 1.
"Stop the Sting of Bullying" is the theme, and the logo features the Hickory Hornet, the district's mascot.
The committee had to come up with a district policy, then develop pupil survey and report forms.
The plan is to offer pupils a special telephone number they can call to report bullying of themselves or someone else.
The campaign won't be a one-shot deal, but will be incorporated into the district's education programs on a year-long basis with such things as writing projects, assemblies and communications with parents.
Pupils will be asked to sign an awareness pledge and be given T-shirts bearing the campaign logo when the effort kicks off in the fall.
The committee wants to raise $15,000 to buy the shirts and provide other materials.
That effort just began a week ago, focusing on the district's staff, and raised $1,181 already.
Student Transportation of America, which handles the district's transportation, has also pledged $1,400 to the effort.