NORFOLK — Norfolk Public Schools will join schools across the nation in celebrating Unity Day on Wednesday, Oct. 22, an event designed to send a visible message of kindness, acceptance and inclusion to prevent bullying.
Unity Day, held annually during National Bullying Prevention Month, was launched by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in 2011 and is now observed worldwide.
Students and staff across Norfolk Public Schools are encouraged to wear orange on Oct. 22 as a visible show of support for safe and inclusive school communities.
“The Norfolk Public Schools embrace the belief that children learn best in a safe and caring environment,” said Superintendent Dr. Ingrid Allardi. “Unity Day is an opportunity to put those values into action by strengthening relationships across grades and reinforcing the importance of kindness and acceptance.”
As part of the District’s celebration, Norfolk educators will lead a special “paired lesson” program in collaboration between Freeman-Kennedy School and H. Olive Day School. Teachers will guide group discussions on unity before pairing students across grade levels to share in reading and activities. Students will then design T-shirts that reflect how kindness and inclusion can be practiced every day.
These paired lessons are a component of Norfolk’s social-emotional learning program and Second Step Bullying Prevention Curriculum, which are designed to reinforce peer modeling for younger children, strengthen the sense of responsibility among older peers, foster friendships across grade levels, and promote assertiveness and upstander skills.
For more information on Unity Day’s history and global impact, visit PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
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