Ours is a comprehensive co-educational high school located in a large regional coastal community.

In 2005, we have 820 students and 61 teachers. The students come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.

Where It Began... The staff and students have indicated over the last five years that they want to promote the school as a safe and friendly learning environment and to continually develop initiatives and programs to address and eliminate violence, bullying and harassment from the school.

Initiatives prior to 2004 included the following.

• A professional learning program for staff regarding the management of bullying in the school and the implementation of whole-school initiatives.
• violence is Intolerable Program (VII). A whole school program implemented over two terms and concluding with a celebration assembly and concert.
• Peer mediation - professional learning for teachers and training of students.

Getting Started... Getting started? Survey results in 1999 and 2004 indicated that the school community believes the following is necessary to address the bullying behaviours.

1. Programs to teach students assertiveness skills to deal with the bullying behaviours of others.
2. Implementation of specific programs and the introduction of new initiatives each year.

These need to be supported by the implementation of a current school policy and well known school practices.

How We Went About It... A team of teachers developed the program implemented during Term 2, 2004.

All senior students participated in program with junior roll groups.

To continue to address anti-bullying in 2004 the following occurred.

Step 1
We conducted a whole-school survey to raise awareness of bullying behaviour at the school, the feelings towards such behaviours and ideas on action required.

Step 2
A team of teachers developed a 10 week whole-school program called Operation No Bully. A flyer was designed by a graphic designer and distributed to all students and families through the school's newsletter.

Step 3
Implementation of the program included the following.

• Guest Speaker, John Coutis (a world renowned international speaker) gave a I hour presentation with audience participation.
• Four lessons in roll groups. Seniors were allocated to each roll group.
• Poster Competition.
• Drama Performance - Sticks and Stones Yr 7-8.
• Drama Performance - Verbal Combat Yr 9-10.
• Anti-bullying wall - students and staff handprints in paint to demonstrate on-going commitment.
• Celebration BBQ.

Step 4
Year 7 ICT program included Operation No Bully - Desktop Publishing Exercise.

Step 5
Articles in school newsletter to keep the school community informed of initiatives.

What We Are Learning... In 2004 the Operation No Bully program continued to demonstrate the strong commitment that exists in the school to identify and address bullying behaviours as they occur.

The survey conducted in 1999 and again in 2004 on peer relationships provided us with the evidence that bullying in our school does occur and that staff, students and parents feel that the school needs to:

• continually address such an issue to reduce it to a minimum
• ensure students are confident that it is not acceptable and that it will be effectively addressed if, and when, it occurs.

Such initiatives are important to raise awareness levels of staff and students of what behaviours are associated with bullying and how they are addressed under the School Discipline Policy.

Such achievements rely heavily on ongoing staff support. It has also been important for students to feel confident enough to report bullying behaviours and for them to be willing to work with staff to eliminate such behaviours.

What's Next... The school has made a long-term commitment to continually develop and implement programs in the school to combat bullying.

In 2005 the school plans to:

• Revise the school's Anti-Bullying Policy and practices.
• Promote policy and practices to staff, students and parents.
• Implement initiative such as:
  • Tackling Bullies video on big screen for Yr 7-9, followed by class discussion groups on Tuesday 29 March
  • School assembly to introduce peer mediators assigned to Years 7, 8 and 9. Mediators address the assembly on their attitudes and approach to bullying at school.
• Have all Year 7 students participate in the VII and Operation No Bully programs.
• Implement four units of work into the curriculum to strengthen our position on anti-bullying. These are: Facing Facts and Giving Voice (Mind Matters material) into Year 7 Cooling Conflicts into Year 8 and Defining Moments (Mind Matters material) into Year 9 Drama.
• Have an anti-bullying forum for parents and caregivers to raise awareness of school initiatives and allow parent/community feedback.

Quick search: Any words All words Phrase