CV's Wellness Program Targets Bullying

It may come as no surprise that a school wellness initiative would promote nutrition coaching, strength training—even yoga—among employees. But preventing bullying, its primary focus among students, may come across as more of a head scratcher.

It shouldn’t, according to Terri Flynn, who is director of administrative services. During a presentation on the wellness program at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, Flynn spoke of the initiative’s goal of improving both the emotional and physical wellness of students.

The K-12 program is modeled in accordance with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which has been used in schools across the nation, and it seeks to stop bullying by enabling students to recognize and respond to it.

Some activities include anti-bullying skits carried out by acting classes, an anti-bullying contest for seventh-graders, and the designation of March as “No Name Calling Month.”

While the program hits all grade levels, it homes in on the lower grades, which meet weekly to discuss bullying. Middle Schoolers meet once every six days, with high schoolers meeting twice a month.

Flynn said the general consensus among administrators who have used the program is that bullying actually spikes in its first year.

But while principals can’t be sure all bullying is observed or reported, they haven’t seen that phenomenon in Chartiers Valley.

“The gut felling, for sure, is that it’s helping,” Flynn said.

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