Students at Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) are aiming to ensure their school remains the place to be.
Since the opening of school this year, the Friends of Rachel Club FOR, has been working hard to ensure students at the school feel included and stamp out bullying.
Students at Drumheller Valley Secondary School are doing their part to end bullying and help everyone feel welcome at school. The Friends of Rachel Club, which is entering its third year, has held a number of events at the school, including a speed meeting, where students had a chance to meet each other in rapid succession.
“I think they’ve made a huge impact in terms of student morale, participation, and acceptance. There’s a great deal of compassion from the members of the FOR Club and some outstanding leadership,” said principal Curtis LaPierre.
Students are also noticing a change in the atmosphere of the school.
“There are so many problems in the world with bullying, especially on Facebook. We let students know we’re here to help. I think our school is pretty good. For example, if a junior high student is bullied,we’ll have senior high members intervene. It helps to have that older role model,” said Madison Colberg, co-president of the FOR Club.
The FOR Club has held a number of events, including a welcoming for international students with a tour around the valley and a speed meeting event, where students quickly cycled through and introduced themselves to one another.
“It was awesome. It was great to see everyone interacting and have a lot of smiles. People met a lot of new friends, which was really nice to see,” said Chelsey Botros, co-president of the FOR Club.
They also have a number of events planned throughout the year, including outreach to other schools.
“We have a whole bunch of cool things planned to bring up the spirit, energy, and excitement at the school. I’m really excited to go out and speak about why bullying is wrong and why people should help when someone is being bullied,” said Lauren Main, vice president of the club.
In addition to events, FOR Club members intervene when there is bullying and will try to help students feel included. For example, if a student is alone at lunch, members will join them.
“People go through bad times, but you don’t want school to be one of them. You want to know your peers support you,” said Main. “That’s what FOR Club is all about; accepting everyone.”
