Do we look for the positives or the negatives in ourselves and others????

Hair colour. Beliefs. Disability. Different opinions. Weight. Racism. Finding learning hard. Finding learning easy. Behaviour. Glasses. Being too nice – being a wimp. Being misunderstood. Being different. Being gentle. Having a different accent. Colour of skin. Where you live. What you’re into. What clothes you wear. What trainers you wear. Size, weight, height. Being sensitive. Having no money. Having lots of money. Your family situation. Hair style. How you look. How your parents look. Our mistakes.

Psalm 139v14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made

Key stage 2 your challenge is to write an anti-bullying song, poem or rap and either hand it in or come and perform it to me before Thursday lunchtime! Reception and Key stage 1 your challenge is to draw an anti-bullying picture and hand it in to your teacher before Thursday lunchtime! We are going to use it on our new leaflet that our anti-bullying team are going to produce.

REFLECTION Let us remember that when we laugh at someone, they feel pain. Let us remember that when we pick on someone they are angry but also afraid. Let us remember that when we don’t stick up for someone who is being bullied, they are alone. Let us remember that we bully because we want to feel strong, the boss. But are we? What have we done? We have forgotten our own fear by making others frightened. We have forgotten our own loneliness by leaving one of us alone. We have hidden our own nightmare in another’s terror. It is no longer enough to be sorry. It is no longer enough to boast and swagger. These attitudes are hollow, skating on the thin ice of our own fears, our own hates. May we have the courage to confront ourselves in the ‘not me’, ‘don’t want to know’, ‘it’s their problem’, ‘I’m not involved’. May we have the courage to confront ourselves in the ‘I’m right’, ‘She’s black’, ‘He’s stupid’, I’m me and it’s my world, not theirs’. For we are all hurt, all afraid, all alone, all different, all me, and the world is all ours. We all have only one life.

Dear God, Thank you for our school and our friends. Today we remember that there are times in everyone’s life when they feel left out or excluded. We ask for strength to deal with these difficult times and the courage to support other people when they feel like that. We ask for the wisdom to notice when people are feeling lonely or left out and the compassion to reach out to them. We celebrate the differences that we all have, and join together as a school community to tackle bullying. In Jesus name AMEN