The first week of October is observed as the “Week of Respect” in New Jersey public schools. During this week, schools are asked to teach about intimidation and harassment in order to make students more aware of the causes and effects of bullying.

At The Calais School, we are also taking time during the Week of Respect to talk about how we show respect for ourselves and others. Our morning announcements team always offer words of wisdom and inspiration, but their thoughts this week have encouraged all of us to be more tolerant, more patient, and more empathetic individuals.

Today’s morning message for Wednesday focused on self-respect, as CRC teacher Mrs. Vitaletti shared:

Respecting others begins with having self-respect and self-acceptance. So today, let us give our students the continued comfort of knowing that we are here to encourage them to respect themselves; to give them confidence in their ability to cope with challenges, an understanding of both their strengths and weaknesses, and  a belief in their own ability to be successful and happy.

We are committed to helping our students cultivate a sense of self which leads to an understanding of what is important to them and encourage within them feelings of being worthy, deserving, and entitled to be happy.

Established in 2010, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights (P.L. 2010, c.122) ensures that schools are prepared to recognize, report and prevent bullying. It also takes steps to ensure that schools are creating a positive environment for students.

Questions about our Anti-Bullying policy can be directed to Anti-Bullying Coordinator Paul Thomas Vitaletti, Assistant Director. For more information about New Jersey anti-bullying legislation, visit http://www.njea.org/issues-and-political-action/anti-bullying.

Mrs. Tacinelli’s class reminds us that we are all unique and different, but friends just the same.