Inclusion and Anti-Bullying Assembly

At GSN’s Anti-Bullying & Inclusion Assembly, students took the opportunity to creatively define bullying and demonstrate effective ways to speak out against it, to report it and to prevent it from happening to their friends. Each grade-level homeroom class created an original presentation to represent different situations in which bullying can occur and its impact on students. Grade 10, chose a different approach towards the subject and composed their own “Appreciation Rap Battle”, sharing compliments and appreciations towards one another set to music.

GSN’s Head of School, Mr. Cavon Ahangarzadeh said, “we must acknowledge that that bullying behaviors represent a deficiency in character that must be immediately addressed and healed. We must cultivate a culture of mutual respect and kindness. We must raise each other up and protect one another. Our school community is too important and each of you is too important for bullying to be taken lightly by any member of our school community.  Remember, we are not just a non-bullying school.  We are actively an anti-bullying school.”

During the assembly, inclusion was the central theme. The act of inclusion is one of a core elements of GSN’s school motto: “Inclusion. Challenge. Success.” The school’s motto stands for oneness and unity and is at the heart of the school’s stated learner outcomes, mission and vision. Inclusion encompasses the acceptance and appreciation of diversity – cultures, thoughts, and backgrounds. It ignites each child’s capacity by nurturing a safe environment where children are able to be themselves and express their feelings.

The assembly ended with students and teachers participating in an activity together, sharing appreciations and encouraging messages with each other. As stated strongly by Mr. Cavon, at GSN “…the role of educators is not to shield you entirely [students] from bullying, but to give you the tools to dismantle the foundations of bullying.” #WeAreGeorgia, cultivating a culture of Mutual Respect and Kindly Speech.