By Kyra Gillespie
The Rotary Club of Bunyip Garfield held a ‘Say No to Bullying Day’ for all Year 5 students from Nar Nar Goon, Garfield, Bunyip, Longwarry, St James, Columba and Labertouche Primary Schools.
The event aimed to empower children to stand up against bullying and targets bullying in all its forms, including cyberbullying.
It also drove home ideas around being a bystander, and having the ability to do something about bullying.
“It was an initiative to help kids, especially with mental health and bullying being a big issue in schools today,” John Legione, a member of the Rotary Club of Bunyip Garfield and former school principal.
“The day was a huge success; all the teachers spoke highly of the program, the presenters and the day in general.”
The students heard from Project RockIt, who ran a workshop on cyberbullying, learnt about what it is to be a bystander, and got to take part in a boot camp session run by a local personal trainer.
“It was surprising to see how many kids in that age group had social media accounts,” Mr Legione said.
“Through the workshop they were given the skills to help them stand up for themselves and engage positively with social media.
“You could tell the kids were really engaged the entire time.”
The event was made possible through funding from the Bunyip and Garfield op shops, as well as from the Rotary International District 9820.
Lunch was provided on the day by Garfield’s Country Style Meats Butcher and Smokehouse, Nine Mile Fresh and the Pakenham Bluelight Disco.
“I see bullying as a precursor to mental health issues. That’s why programs like these are so important for young students.”
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, and the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25).
