CHS has implemented a new anti-bullying initiative this year with the hopes of decreasing the amount of students who reported in a schoolwide survey conducted last year that they felt uncomfortable at school.

The slogan “No Place for Hate,” posted in each hallway and most classrooms, is part of a larger plan developed by a CHS Bullying Committee with the assistance of a Department of Health and Human Services program called “The ABCs of Bullying,” which offers guidelines that administration, teachers and parents should follow to handle a bullying incident.

“Bullying can be verbal, physical, ostracizing or cyber,” assistant principal Doreen Brandes said.  “Any belittling is against the rules.”

According to Brandes, the plan has a “three-pronged approach,” which includes efforts from staff, students and parents to prevent bullying. 

To emphasize the student “prong,” another committee that will allow interested students to join is scheduled to have its first meeting Sept. 24.  The hopes for this committee are to stop the bullying as it happens and to add fresh ideas to the plan already set in place.

Many students see the value in the new push to eliminate bullying in school and think the numerous advertisements  serve their purpose.

“I think this new [initiative] seems really useful and productive,” sophomore Robert Gutierrez said.  “I think if kids [listen to] the initiative to be nice, everything will be better.”

Although some other students do not feel there was ever a major bullying problem to warrant this new initiative, they are generally pleased CHS is taking a strong stand against it.

“[There wasn’t a big problem], but this initiative will help because kids will try harder to stop [the bullying] and be more aware [of its presence],” junior Priscilla Wu said.

According to Brandes, the ultimate goal of the initiative is to raise awareness to the point where bullying stops.  Her committee anticipates broadening the program’s possibilities by developing it throughout the cluster and bringing it to middle and elementary schools.

Brandes also says that bullying goes beyond the standard stereotypes, and that all kinds are equally reprehensible.

“We have a firm belief in this school that instruction is number one,” Brandes said. “Everyone should feel engaged in learning and enjoy the school, but if someone is being bothered, they can’t learn.”