Assistant Principal Update
Being an Upstander
One of the many amazing things that happens in our school community is that we have school values that are lived and students work hard to show each other respect. Every day I am lucky to see a range of different students identify another person who might need help and take action in order to support someone else through a moment of difficulty. These important actions can take a variety of forms and something that feel relatively little to one person can make a significant difference to someone else. It might be offering to play with someone who does not have a friend, sharing a smile with someone who needs one or listening to another person when they are having a tough day.
At our first assembly of term, we thought more deeply about the power of being an "Upstander". An upstander is someone who stands up for others when needed and takes action to make our school an even better place. Upstanders can help to prevent bad things from happening and contribute to the overall success of MEPS taking it from an awesome school (which it already is) to an even more amazing school! Students were challenged to be upstanders, not bystanders, and keep looking out for each other so we had a whole community connected in kindness. Four strategies were shared with the kids to help them be an upstander for other MEPS students:
Be a Buddy- Show other people that they are not alone when they are having a tough time.
Interrupt- If you see something happening, interrupt to give people a chance to walk away from the problem and cool down.
Speak out- If you feel safe and comfortable, let others know you think something is not right. This one takes courage!
Tell someone- Share with others if something is making people feel unsafe or uncomfortable so we can help them.
Thank you to all the MEPS legends who are already upstanders in their classrooms, school yard and communities. Keep up the great work in looking out for others and making a positive difference in the world around you by standing up for anyone who needs your help. Together, we can make sure our school is an awesome place to learn full of kindness, laughter and friendship.
Darren Thresher
Assistant Principal