District Five students create anti-bullying campaigns

Nursery Road Elementary School students recently presented an anti-bullying project

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Students at a Lexington County elementary school were challenged last month to come up with solutions to prevent bullying.

Nursery Road Elementary school counselor, Jessica Deffendall, asked the second through fifth graders to brainstorm ideas and last week, they presented their projects during an assembly last week. The campaigns ranged from videos to a musical duet.

“I immediately knew that if I wanted the students to be engaged in creating this bully free environment I needed to allow them to take the lead,” Deffendall said. “With that in mind I came up with the idea for this challenge to allow them to use their own talents and abilities to make it personal for them.”

The students had to research bullying statistics and preventative methods, and prepare them in a report. After writing it up, they had to come with an idea for a project.

“I appreciate students taking the lead in this project because it gives them the opportunity to own the message that bullying is something we will not tolerate,” said Love Ligons, principal of Nursery Road.

At the end of the assembly, students were encouraged to stand and take a pledge to make the school a bully-free zone.

Nursery Road Elementary School is part of District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties.