Students, faculty collaborate on anti-bullying initiative
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
Spearheaded by four sixth-grade students and two school officials, Riverview School in Silver Lake received a $1,000 mini-grant to take an anti-bullying initiative outdoors, according to Director of Teaching and Learning Sarah Lindh.
The initiative, funded through a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction grant, calls for an outdoor buddy bench.
The Buddy Bench, first introduced to school in October 2015, was part of Bully Prevention Month.
“Students were introduced to the Buddy Bench through student-developed skits during the assembly,” Lindh stated in email, as she looked back at the October assembly, when the school became the first in Western Kenosha County to receive one.
Since then, four students with the school Leadership Team have expressed an interest in bringing the anti-bullying symbol outside, where their classmates feel equally excluded.
“Our bench is beautiful and is a great reminder of how to be buddy, not a bully, so the students were motivated to get a Buddy Bench for outdoor use,” Lindh said.
The sixth-grade students, Amber Blount, Brandon Caldwell, Anthony Corona and Ashley Kaminski, started to work with Lindh and school counselor Laura Stutzman on drafting a grant in October, when they all attended a Leadership Conference.
Through the grant-writing process, students and involved faculty designed a plan of action, which included the purchase of an outdoor Buddy Bench in November, development of assembly for K-4 students and plan anti-bullying activities in January, followed by student modeling in February.
Activities include spirit wear Friendship Fridays, a poster contest, all-school assembly on bully prevention, a parent presentation on bully prevention and a school-wide “Stand Up Against Bullying Pledge,” Lindh states.
According to Stutzman, the students demonstrated teamwork, collaborating with one another to formulate a written plan for the project.
“The sixth-grade students that wrote this grant worked hard to articulate their thoughts and ideas to communicate the need for this at our school,” said Stutzman, who expressed excitement about the eventual new tool.
“After we received our beautiful Buddy Bench from Scherrer Construction, our students have been anxious and excited to have a Buddy Bench outdoors to make sure all kids at our school can feel included at recess.”