Anti-bullying is an important and well-publicized topic, with many programs available to address the issue both in and out of schools.

This week, Ralph McCall will host one of those programs, Dare to Care, for two days in their school.

Principal Andrea Craigie has had Dare to Care at the school before, and says she appreciates their particular approach, which tailors the presentation to the audience.

"They have specific presentation and language that they use with kindergarten, grade one and grade two students, and then they have different language and even some different strategies that they teach grade three and four students."

Craigie says the program is important, because it gives the student body a shared vocabulary for talking about bullying.

"It teaches a language about the difference between conflict and bullying, and normal peer playground relationships versus true bullying."

Students at the school will take part in a Dare to Care assembly tomorrow (March 22), but Craigie is even more excited about a parent session that the school is holding on Thursday (March 23).

"What the parent session does differently than what the school sessions do, is Lisa [Dixon-Wells, Founder of Dare to Care] gives the parents strategies for working with the children at home and in the family and having conversations about bullying."

Craigie says the parent session is open to any parent in Airdrie, regardless of where their children go to school. The session will run for two hours from 6:00pm to 8:30pm, and there is no need to RSVP.

 

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