On Monday 13th November, the Junior Section of Wakefield Girls’ celebrated Odd Socks Day as part of Anti-Bullying Week 2023. 

Odd Socks Day is typically observed on the second Monday in November each year, and it is a day when schools, workplaces, and individuals join together to show that it’s okay to be different and to stand up against bullying and discrimination.

During lessons this week, students in all year groups have had workshops on the theme of Anti-Bullying, raising awareness for how our words have power and hence we should use our words to be supportive and kind. We discussed as form groups all of the differences that make us unique individuals and how they make us great!

On Wednesday morning, Miss Morris’ Year 5 class presented an assembly on the theme ‘Make a Noise about Bullying’ – encouraging students to speak out against bullying if they ever see it occurring. 

There have also been small class activities focussing on Anti-Bullying, for example some students perhaps made a ‘Bantometer’: evaluating when a joke is ‘banter’ and where it progresses into bullying. Some wrote poems where they ‘Made a Noise’ about bullying.

In PHSE lessons, there were anti-bulling drama re-enactments supported by our Sixth Form peer mentors. Student’s reflected upon how they would act if they saw bullying occurring, how they should calmly react to bullying and deal with it suitably. Similarly, in lessons we spoke about Zones of Regulation: students identified emotions they might feel if bullied or if they were a bully, then discussed strategies to move into the green zone.

Mrs V Hutchinson 

Junior Section Wellbeing Officer