December 2018

“Coping Strategies to Try”
by Ryan Michael and Dylan Fanale

• Walk away from the situation
• Listen to music
• Play video games
• Watch TV
• Solve a puzzle
• Hang out with friends/family
• Play an instrument
• Take a walk
• Sing
• Read a book
• Draw
• Play a sport
• Bake

“5 Takeaways from the Assembly” by Daisy Ginsburg and Jazie Abdi

1. Be an ‘Upstander’ not a bystander. Standing up and helping peers is key to creating a better environment and stop bullying. Whether you get involved or not, sometimes all you need is one person. Help others and don’t just watch. The more we help, the better we become.
2. It’s best to leave a positive digital footprint by thinking before you post something. Anything you put online is there forever. It may seem like a good idea to post something at the moment, but in the future many repercussions could occur. One of the worst affects of doing this is the emotional impact.
3. There is a big difference between bullying and fighting. Bullying is hurting somebody repeatedly and intentionally. It’s when one or more people target a certain person and hurt their feelings. Fighting is very common and completely understandable, and is when two or more people argue over something that can be compromised/fixed. Bullying, however is not acceptable because it can hurt people’s feeling or hurt them physically.
4. Learn how to cope with bullying. You can cope in many ways, mostly by doing things that make you happy and feel like yourself. Examples of these are listed in the article on the left.
5. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has in some way hurt somebody else in some way shape or form, whether it is/was intentional or not. But what you can do is work to become a better person. Always think before you speak, post or text. “Just Kidding” still hurts.

“How to Avoid Being an Egger or a Bystander”
By Hamza Mufti

As students of OMS we are all core value upstanders and supporters of the school. Alone we are strong but together we are stronger! Becoming the change from being a bystander to an upstander is something that can be as simple as telling someone to cut it out or even just getting someone in a conversation. It doesn’t need to be a big gesture or something that is going to put you at risk, it just needs to be something that puts change in someone’s mind. By getting pushed around and not saying anything or not getting help what are you proving? By actually getting help from a parent or trusted adult (ex. teachers, counselors, etc.) you are proving that bullying isn’t something that’s taken lightly. You will actually be proving that you are strong with stronger allies and that you’re not afraid to ask for help. All you have to do is say the word and Oak staff will be happy to help. The orange wristbands that you are wearing today are not just for support against anti-bullying, rather they serve as reminder that your voice can be heard. Also, by wearing those bracelets you are making a statement that we should all pitch in because the smallest high five or question asking “are you ok,” can make the biggest difference to someone.  

“What Does the Student Council Do?”
By Kenzie Crandall, Mounica Guttalapalli and Stella Chacharone

As you might already know, Oak Middle School has a Student Council. This Council consists of 41 members, with 1 or more representatives from every team at OMS. The Student Council holds multiple meetings a month. At these meetings, we plan various events taking place at Oak including the scarecrow competition (in October), the orange wristbands passed out throughout the school (we encourage you to wear one if you aren’t already), and more events to come. Members of the Student Council have attended PTO and School Council meetings to voice student opinions and represent the student body as a whole. If students have any issues or thoughts, they can reach out to their team executive board members (names that are bolded in the chart down below). Student Council’s purpose is to promote and help organize school spirit events and advocate for issues regarding student life.