Longmeadow High School pledges to ‘Stand Together’

Date: 12/27/2011

Dec. 26, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW — Many times a student who is bullied just wishes someone would stand up for them.

At Longmeadow High School, students can rest assured that hundreds are willing to do so.

In a coordinated effort between community service learning, peer leadership and the Unity Club, students and faculty members alike — and one Reminder Publications reporter — have taken a pledge to “Stand Together” against bullying in their school.

Stand Together is a nationwide movement that was started by Springfield’s Sirdeaner Walker, whose 11-year-old son Carl Walker-Hoover committed suicide after his complaints of bullying at the New Leadership Charter School went unheard.

The Walker family was recently the subject of the now cancelled ABC television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” offering a platform for Stand Together to gain national attention.

In Springfield’s backyard, Longmeadow High School student and peer leader Mollie Posnik also took note and went to members of the school faculty with an idea.

“I was watching ‘Extreme Makeover’ and hearing about the Stand Together campaign and I realized for one person to die because of bullying, it’s one person too many,” Posnik told Reminder Publications. “I thought that this was something we could bring to this school where bullying has been a problem.”

With the help of Megan Schwartz, social studies department chair, Sandra Macdonald, Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) coordinator and Unity Club advisor, Meaghan Roy, the school’s health teacher and peer leadership advisor and Shelly Warren, the school’s substance abuse response and peer leadership coordinator, Posnik generated a proposal and the program was adopted.

In the week prior to winter break, students from all three organizations patrolled the high school’s main hallway and the cafeteria to recruit members of the school community to sign a pledge to take a stand against bullying.

Using new iPad technology recently purchased by the schools, those who participated entered their name, email and date of birth and were then assigned a number, which appeared on the iPad. The participant’s picture was taken as they held up their number in order to be added to what will be a large collage of all who participated, which will be assembled over he break.

“We may do this again once the collage is up because some of those who didn’t do it before might have a better understanding of what we were trying to do once they see it,” Warren said.

For many students, according to Macdonald, the Stand Together program offered an opportunity for students to take a look not only at bullying as a broad issue, but how it can affect them and those closest to them.

“I think it helps set the tone for discussion on an issue that for a lot of students is very important,” Macdonald, who knows the Walker family through the METCO program, said. “Like a lot of things, I think a lot of people don’t realize the extent [of bullying]. When kids think about it, oftentimes they say, ‘I didn’t think of that as bullying,’ or ‘I didn’t mean it.’ I think this opens eyes for people, including we adults.”

Macdonald explained that a recent anonymous survey of students showed that 45 percent of students admitted to bullying in one form or another, but a similar percentage also said they would stand up for someone who they saw being bullied.

Participating in Stand Together isn’t the first action the Longmeadow High School community has taken against bullying. With the help of the Anti-Defamation League, the school has incorporated lessons on bullying into several classes, including physical education and health and the peer leadership program at the school have been a valuable weapon in the fight against bullying, Warren said.

This movement also will not be the last step in controlling bullying.

“Between myself, Ms. Roy and the powers that be at the school, we have planned things right along so we can constantly talk about this issue. It won’t end here,” Macdonald said. “We want to create an environment where kids can be more prepared to ask questions.”

Officials are also exploring the idea of adopting the Stand Together program at Williams Middle School, though the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits students younger than the age of 13 from participating.

“We’re trying to find ways to get this message across to kids at a younger age as well,” Roy said.