Bullying Prevention week and Unity Day at Incarnate Word

Incarnate Word Academy unites with the rest of the nation to raise awareness and encourage others to take an active role in the bullying prevention movement. The entire IWA campus is recognizing Oct. 17-21 as Bullying Prevention Week.

IWA invited students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community to wear orange on Wednesday, Oct. 19 in recognition of National Unity Day to send a message, “Make it Orange and Make it End.”

In addition, IWA was honored with several guest speakers at the school’s elementary, middle, and high school level students. Guest speakers include Judge Joe Benavides, HEB representative Elizabeth Padilla and the HEB Buddy, Directed Patrol Officer Imelda Rjasko with the Corpus Christi Police Department as well as crime prevention officers, and Michaela Flores, project turnaround coordinator with the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation.

Students were given orange anti-bullying wristbands on Oct. 17 to show support for National Bullying Prevention Month. The wristbands state “Bullying Ends With Me.”
The week included classroom discussions, projects, posters, prayer in classrooms, daily announcements, and orange ribbons across campus lockers.

Some of the activities included a positive comments campaign as well as student-made audio and video projects by Ashley Pettus’ personal development classes. Pettus’ second period class implemented a '"ake what you need and give what you can" campaign to allow students to take positive comments and leave positive comments in return for others. The campaign kicked off during lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Pettus’ fourth and fifth period classes also created videos in two days pertaining to the bullying prevention movement. Freshman Sarah Garcia wrote and sang an anti-bullying song to correlate with a lyrical hands display, which was created by Pettus’ sixth period classes. The display is located in the high school level’s front office. The videos and audio were sent to faculty to show to classes on Oct. 18.

Freshman cheerleader A’Marie McPeters-Pollard also created orange ribbons to share with high school level students who offered a kind word to others.