The Pledge to End Bullying is rooted in our faith tradition and faith teachings.  We understand that all people are made in the image of God, that we are called to express the Spirit of the Risen Lord in our words and our actions, and that we are to acknowledge the presence of God in each person and in all of creation.  The early Christian communities put an emphasis on love of God and love of neighbour, reminding us that these loves are inseparable (cf. Mark 12:28-34; Luke10:25-38; 1 John 3).  Jesus reminds us that love of neighbour and love of God is a mark of our faith: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”  (John 13:35).

 

In 2010, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed a resolution to recognize Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week as the third week of every November.   During this time particular attention is given to understanding bullying and recognizing  impact bullying has on our school environment.  Our staff and students are invited to recite the age-appropriate pledge during “Bully Awareness and Prevention Week”.   There are different versions of the pledge and in our Catholic schools we will use the Catholic pledges listed below.

The Catholic pledge language for adults and students ages 13 years and up is:

"We believe that each and every person is made in the image of God and that we all belong to each other as members of God's family. All people must be treated as respected, valued, and responsible members of our community. I pledge to uphold the God-given dignity of each person, to be a peacemaker, to recognize the gifts of all people, and to stand up against and report all injustices, including bullying, whenever and wherever I see it."

 

The Catholic pledge language for those students 12 years and younger is:

 

 

 

 

The Catholic pledge language for students in the Primary grades is: