~High School~ SEL & Wellness

Every day, thousands of young people experience bullying from their peers at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and even when they are at home, through social media and texts. There are many ways to support bullying prevention as an individual or with friends, family, your school, or your entire community.

National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to:

• Encourage the nation to take action at the local level to create safe and supportive schools
• Offer information and education about how everyone can prevent bullying
• Provide a platform to hold school and community events
• Share information about the issue through news media, social media, videos, and print publications
• Speak with education and public policy leaders about their roles in bullying prevention
• Promote dialogue between educators, parents, and students on their roles in addressing and preventing bullying
• Invite organizations to share information about their bullying prevention resources
• Inspire everyone to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion
• Help create a world without bullying

Unity Day is typically held annually on the third Wednesday of National Bullying Prevention Month in October. For years, our society justified bullying with expressions, such as, “Bullying is a natural part of childhood,” “Some kids just deserve to be bullied,” or “Bullying is a rite of passage.” The goal of the day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community. The call to action is simple—to wear and share the color orange—as a tangible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. As Unity Day is held during October, orange is a color commonly identified with the month and the autumn season. It is also a color that is associated with safety and visibility. It is a color described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement. Orange was also a color that was not being used by another widely known cause.

Everyone’s involvement is important! This event goes beyond the school wall and into the community. Anyone can wear orange and share an image with an online post. For so long, those who were bullied felt that no one cared—the simple act of wearing orange shows that them that they are not alone and will hopefully empower them to speak out and reach out.

Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In honor of Kiki's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents then began to form coalitions using Camarena as their model while embracing his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the Red Ribbon. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities.

Everyone is impacted in some way by mental health conditions, whether it be living with one themselves or someone they know. 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth in the US experience a mental health condition each year. Mental health conditions are important to discuss, not only during this week, but all throughout the year. You can learn more by visiting the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

TCHATT provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identify and assess the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents and provide access to mental health services. Cuero ISD is proud to be part of this program that helps students get access to mental health treatment and resources. This program is free for students and is available throughout the year, even in the summer. If you would like more information about TCHATT, you can visit their website https://tcmhcc.utsystem.edu/tchatt/ or contact Lacy Timpone at ltimpone@cueroisd.org.

Ruby Rodriguez, M.Ed. ~ Director of Special Programs

Lacy Timpone, M.Ed., LPC ~ School Climate Specialist

Courtney Kalinowski, M.S., LPC ~ School Climate Specialist

Kathy Scott, LMSW~ School Climate Specialist

Website: https://www.cueroisd.org/
Location: 960 E Broadway St, Cuero, TX, USA
Phone: 361-275-1900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cueroisd