Building Community: Grade 6 Become Upstanders at the Middle School Orientation
The transition from Lower to Upper School can be an intimidating experience for some students. However, forming friendships and connections with their Grade 6 peers can help students to feel more at ease with their new school experience.
ISA Middle School students received a jumpstart to this experience at their special orientation event. Taking place on 21 August, students learnt what to expect in Grade 6, where their classes are located and how they access support if they need to.
At ISA, we encourage students to intervene and support victims, promoting a culture where they feel able to actively speak out against bullying and cyberbullying. As part of the orientation event, we held a Middle School assembly, where we were lucky to have Karen Polak as our guest speaker. Karen works at the Anne Frank House and leads the international Stories that Move team. ISA has collaborated with the team for several years to develop the Stories That Move Toolbox, an interactive online teaching resource against discrimination.
During the assembly, the new Middle Schoolers were introduced to the important concept of being an ‘upstander’ for each other. Upstanders are someone who notices bullying behaviour and uses words or actions to help someone who is being bullied. This is different from being a bystander – someone who notices bullying behaviour but does not or cannot help.
Upstanders can be an important part of the solution to stopping bullying. Karen talked to the students about the importance of being an upstander and reminded them that young people have a powerful voice to be heard in the fight against discrimination and bullying.
She said: “Connecting with Middle School students at the first assembly of the new year was wonderful. The impact young people’s voices can have is powerful to share: the main message of Stories that Move is that you can use your voice to make a difference. ISA is unique in having a Stories that Move CAS club. We at the Anne Frank House look forward to hearing about their activities and continued exchanges with educators and students on how best to reach out to a growing community of upstanders.”
To end the orientation event, Grade 6 completed a scavenger hunt and ended the day with popsicles, giving them an opportunity to connect with each other and form friendships. The next step for the Middle Schoolers are the coming Grade Level Days, which will allow them to deepen these connections as we continue to build a strong Middle School community.
Assistant Head of Upper School Amanda, said “Building a Middle School Community at the start of the year is so important as it gives all students a real sense of belonging, this is valuable for our new students who have joined us this year. Community building in Middle School focuses on respecting yourself, respecting each other and respecting the environment.”
