Carnival Day helps tackle bullying in a fun way
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
MARS HILL — From designing a T-shirt with an anti-bullying message to learning bullying prevention strategies, the first-ever Anti-Bullying Carnival Day was held Nov. 18 at the Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
JONATHAN GEBHART, a student at Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School in Mars Hill, signs an anti-bullying pledge as part of the recent Anti-Bullying Carnival Day activities.
“Carnival Day was the result of a survey that was given to the students at the beginning of the school year,” said Tammy Deveau, school social worker. “They identified bullying as an issue that they wanted addressed.”
Deveau and Rani Belanger, school counseling intern, then created an Anti-Bullying Task Force to identify, discuss, address and prevent incidences of bullying in the school.
The task force came up with the Carnival Day as a way to establish a school climate that “conveys a united front for a safe school environment.”
“Our hope is that the Carnival Day will help raise awareness, strengthen the school climate and culture, build unity in the school, and empower bystanders,” said Deveau.
Ten booths were set up in the school gymnasium where students would stop and complete different activities. Booths included designing T-shirts, decorating real cookies to eat, as well as paper cookies with anti-bullying sayings that will be placed on a bulletin board, adding artistic thoughts and messages on a paper mural, taking an anti-bullying pledge, watching video clips, and participating in team-building activities.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
MODELING THEIR ANTI-BULLYING T-shirts are, from left: Whitnie Bradbury, Stephanie Dame, Jordan Canney and Carly Grass.
“We pulled some ideas from online, and also utilized resources from the Department of Human Services,” Deveau said. “We wanted to have fun activities that the students would enjoy doing. Students learn better when they experience things. It’s more meaningful to them, and they retain things longer, so we wanted to offer some experiential learning.”
“Students can buy into it more if it’s an activity they feel drawn to and that they’re contributing to,” said Belanger. “There has to be some sort of motivation for them to come and be involved.”
Vicki Canales of the Aroostook Mental Health Center presented a talk on cyberbullying and bystander intervention.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
BRIANA DYER, a student at Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School, designs a T-shirt with an anti-bullying message at the first-ever Anti-Bullying Carnival Day that was held recently at the school.
“I think that most kids aren’t bullies or victims, but rather ‘bystanders.’ They’re the kids that know that this stuff is going on and do nothing to prevent it,” she said. “I think almost every student who doesn’t live in a bubble knows some of these things that go on … especially if they’re doing any social networking.
“Our goal here today is to talk to the majority — the bystanders — about their attitudes and how they have the opportunity to have the most impact to make changes,” said Canales. “Mostly what I’m trying to do is have them develop self-awareness about how they may unintentionally participate in something that causes a situation to be bigger or worse than it has to be. I also want them to realize that they may make it hard for anybody to tell someone when something is wrong — and that a conversation between two people can end up spreading into a rumor that covers up to 300 people in the school system by the end of the day. Each of those students played a part in making the situation worse just by talking about it and passively supporting it.”
Students Brittany Baird and Jacob Canney felt the Carnival Day was a worthwhile event.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
AT THE FIRST-EVER Anti-Bullying Carnival Day held last Friday at the Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School, students were encouraged to write anti-bullying sayings on paper cookies that were later placed on a bulletin board. Writing messages are, from left, front row: Hailey Ingraham, Emily Pickance and Shannon Scully. Back row: Carly Grass and Stephanie Dame. Students could also decorate real cookies to eat.
“I was cyberbullied when I was younger, so I feel it’s important for everyone to understand that bullying is serious,” said Baird, a freshman. “I don’t think teens are as aware of bullying as they should be. They usually think, ‘Oh, I was just joking around,’ but it can really hurt someone. Sometimes it’s just little things that are examples of bullying like shutting their locker when they’re trying to get something.
“Having this Carnival Day may help people think more,” she said. “People are learning and having fun at the same time and there’s no pressure from anyone else. I think this was a great idea.”
Canney is a representative on the Anti-Bullying Task Force.
“This is important because we can tell other people the consequences of being bullied and how it affects their lives,” he said.
Though he’s never been bullied before, Canney, a sophomore, said it’s important to speak up and take a stand.
“I try to tell people who bully others that it’s not nice and that they shouldn’t be doing it and that it could hurt someone really bad,” he said. “Just because people think it’s fun, it’s not fun for the other person, and it will hurt them in some way.”
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
WORKING TOGETHER on a team-building activity are Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School students, from left: Brittany Baird, Sean Brock, Josiah Jackins, Matt Williams, Anthony Brock and Stephanie Dame. Officials hope to make the Carnival Day an annual event.
Canney said he liked the T-shirt designing activity the most.
“I wrote, ‘Jake the Snake is bully-free,’” he said. “That’s my nickname, and I’m proud to wear this shirt. I want people to know that I don’t like bullying.”
Deveau and Belanger said the Anti-Bullying Task Force will continue to look for ways to spread its message throughout the school year.
Officials hope to make the Carnival Day an annual event.
