Elementary schools take a week to reaffirm their respect

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield elementary school students and teachers recognized Respect Week with projects inside and outside of their schools during the first week of October. What the children created with paper and crayons, read and wrote, highlighted the importance for people of all cultures and ethnicity to respect one another.

These activities were fun, but also a requirement mandated in the NJ Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act of 2011. What was accomplished was displayed in hallways, classroom, and along school fences, or maybe it was the clothing worn on a specific day. What was accomplished was the temporary displays of what is hoped to become lifelong guiding lights.

Taking a quick tour of most of the schools, we found messages which were similar but told in a variety of ways.

• At Watsessing Elementary, something blue was worn Thursday, and on Friday it was time to wear the school-spirit T-shirt. Posters, based on inspirational quotes, were made by teams of children and displayed in classrooms. Kindergarteners got into the spirit by drawing pictures based on a letter from the word respect and first-graders wrote words and phrases about respect. All this was coordinated by the school guidance counselor, Pam Catalano, who had so many activities that she said Respect Week could last for two weeks instead of one. But, of course, at Watsessing and all Bloomfield elementary schools, R-E-S-P-E-C-T is taught every day.

• At Carteret, students and teachers made paper links with words defining behaviors that displayed respect and kindness written on them. The links were connected and strung in the corridors to create a chain of kindness throughout the school.

• At Brookdale, Kathryn Wax, the school counselor, discussed the definition of respect and what acts of respect the children could perform toward their parents, friends and the school.

“Each student created a collage of respectful acts on a piece of paper,” Brookdale Principal Lauren Barton said. “They also took a pledge to be respectful to themselves, parents, school and friends.”

Barton said that all grade levels skyped with a young woman with a craniofacial condition.
“She had a benign tumor at birth that covered 70 percent of her face and is now tumor free,” Barton said. “Students were excited to meet a real-life ‘Auggie’ just like in the book ‘Wonder’ as part of our Kindness Project. This reinforced the message of respect toward others.”

In the book “Wonder,” by R.J. Palacio, Auggie, or August, is a child with a cleft palate.
• At Franklin, the school counselor, Steve Untisz, said students wore colors that symbolized specific character traits, such as caring, respect, and citizenship. There was also an assembly that focused on defining the different types of bullying and how students can stand up to bullying. The students participated in skits. There were classroom lessons about tolerance, diversity, and respecting one another. Quotes were read with morning announcements and there was a “Box of Respect.”

“Students were encouraged, during the morning announcements, to place their acts of kindness toward one another into the box,” Untisz said. “The best ones were read and awarded prizes.” Untisz said the box would continue throughout the year to help promote a positive climate at the school.

• At Fairview, Respect Week began with all students reciting and signing a Respect Pledge. The outside of the school was adorned with yellow ribbons and the word “Respect.” Students also acted out a skit called “Bee Respectful,” and read and discussed a book, “Land of Many Colors.” There was an anti-bullying presentation for the students and an anti-bullying seminar for parents at night. The week ended with everyone wearing yellow in solidarity of respect.

• Oak View Principal Mary DiTrani said each day of the week students did a lesson based on respect.

“We are focusing on respecting ourselves, our bodies, our environment, our friends, and our school,” she said. “All students were invited to enter a poster contest with one winner from each class winning a pizza party.”
The students also wore special colors each day. On Monday, blue to stomp out bullying; Tuesday, pink for cancer awareness; Wednesday, red for respect; Thursday, a favorite sports team shirt; and Friday, school colors.
“At Oak View, we will be educating our students on exactly what bullying is,” DiTrani said. “We hope that Oak View is a ‘safe place’ for all our students, and if it is not, we need to know.”

• And now back to Watsessing for its “I Will” Pledge, which is recited each day by the children: “I will pledge to be part of the solution; I will use my words in kind ways; I will encourage others to do the same; I will act in ways that do not hurt people; If others won’t be part of the solution, I will; Have a peaceful day!”