You are here
Home > School News > “The Keys to Kindness”: Peer Alliance Day 2016

“The Keys to Kindness”: Peer Alliance Day 2016

By Rachel Rosenstein

This year’s Peer Alliance Day was an enormous success at High School East! On Friday January 29th, the members of the Peer Ambassador Program came together to promote kindness and prevent bullying. In this year’s campaign, “Keys to Kindness,” Peer Ambassadors delivered a strong message that bullying, whether in the form of cyber bullying or physical harassment, is unacceptable here at HSE or anywhere for that matter. Four gold keys were hung up behind the Peer Ambassadors labeled with the words: Respect, Compassion, Courage, and Integrity. These keys are essentially the fundamental rules that can be followed to achieve kindness and establish a safe and enjoyable academic environment for everyone.

The table near the West Gym was where this day took place. Students passing by the display were able to learn, through a series of true and false questions, how widespread bullying truly is and the horrific impacts it has on innocent kids each year. Students were asked several true or false questions, such as: “True or False: 19.6% of high school students in the US reported being bullied at school in the past year and 14.8% reported being bullied online.” If students responded true, they received a lollipop as this is the correct answer; however, if they responded false, they’d still receive a lollipop for their participation in this highly informative day!

Not only did the Peer Ambassadors educate our fellow classmates and faculty members about the current problems regarding bullying that society is facing today, we also gave students and teachers the opportunity to pledge to stop all forms of bullying in order to create and maintain a healthy and happy school environment. They did this by signing their name on a piece of bright colored paper that was strung to a big door that would ultimately “open” from the combination of the four “Keys to Kindness.”

Mrs. Norris’ Art classes did an incredible job building the door and the four keys that were displayed on Peer Alliance Day. Their amazing creation will stand in our school as a symbol that inspires change in the way individuals act toward one another and hopefully will put an end to bullying. Thanks to everyone who showed their support on Peer Alliance Day 2016! Always remember… Don’t stand by, STAND UP!

Photo Courtesy of HSE Media Library 

Top