For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 23, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

*Media Advisory*

Melrose’s Winthrop Elementary School Event Fights Bullying, Promotes Acceptance and Inclusion

Media Invited to Event Oct. 25

MELROSE — Students at the Winthrop Elementary School will wear orange and unveil a special “Unity Chain” to show their commitment to preventing and stopping bullying in all forms.

The school’s Unity Day programs are commemorated in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, and members of the press are invited to the school on Oct. 25, where student-run programs will show their commitment to preventing bullying and promoting acceptance, kindness and inclusion.

WHEN

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Project Connect Unity Chain will be hung at 1:45 p.m. (1:30 is best time for media to arrive)

WHERE

Winthrop Elementary School,  162 1st St., in Melrose

Unity Chain will be hung in the upstairs hallway of the school.

WHO

• Winthrop Elementary School students
• Faculty, staff, and community members
• Winthrop Elementary School Principal John Maynard
• Melrose Superintendent of Schools Cyndy Taymore

WHAT

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and on Wednesday Oct. 25, Winthrop Elementary will be participating in Unity Day. Unity Day is a day to unite against bullying and promote acceptance, kindness and inclusion. All students and staff are encouraged to wear orange (shirt, shoes, bow, sweater etc.- any piece of orange clothing or accessory) to show their participation.

Winthrop Elementary will also be participating in Project Connect. This is a school-wide paper chain that promotes ways we can promote kindness and acceptance. Each student will receive a strip of orange paper and on this paper they will be writing of drawing ways they can show kindness or stand up to a bully. Once each student in the class has finished they will attach their strips in a paper chain, this classroom chain will then be attached to the other classes in the grade, then all grades will be connected to form a visual representation of uniting for a common cause and this be hung in the upstairs hallway.

There are lots of different ways to support this cause. Wear orange this Wednesday to show your unity, have discussions with your students and children about bullying and what it looks like physical, emotional, verbal, social and cyber forms, take the pledge with your students and children and model for students and children how to stand up to bullying and how to treat others with kindness. When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, it sends the message that is not acceptable; hopefully together we can work to “create a world without bullying.”

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