It is not okay

Woman’s Club of Lakeside members President Liz Harris and Secretary Carmen Holt, in conjunction with the Lakeside Union School District, Lakeside PTA Council and the Lakeside Community Collaborative purchased 4,800 blue bracelets with the saying “ It Is Not Okay” on them, one for every child in the Lakeside School District. The project was done during the week of April 11-15th, the actual week of child abuse and prevention programs that were being done around the State on a National level.

Woman’s Club of Lakeside members President Liz Harris and Secretary Carmen Holt, in conjunction with the Lakeside Union School District, Lakeside PTA Council and the Lakeside Community Collaborative purchased 4,800 blue bracelets with the saying “ It Is Not Okay” on them, one for every child in the Lakeside School District. The project was done during the week of April 11-15th, the actual week of child abuse and prevention programs that were being done around the State on a National level.

Based on the GFWC National Pinwheels for Prevention signature project, a program was developed between Superintendent Dr. Lorden, Nancy Fink the Director of Student Support, school counselors, and the Woman’s Club of Lakeside members. The program was created to raise awareness about respecting personal space boundaries, and safety. The emphasis on the program was developed to state that the students should trust their feelings and if a situation doesn’t feel right, to tell a “trusted adult.” Elementary and Middle School students made commitment statements from the program, and wrote them on strips of blue paper. Some of the kindergarten classes did designs on their blue papers.

The five commitment statements were as follows;

I will report any physical, mental and emotional harm done to myself or others.

I will say “No” to actions that make me feel uncomfortable.

I will tell an adult of I am being hurt or if I know of someone being hurt.

I will respect my own body.

I will respect other people’s personal space.

If the student made a commitment to any one of the statements above, they were then given a blue “It Is Not Okay” bracelet to wear. The commitment statements were then made into chains and hung in classrooms and on fences around the Lakeside School District. The project was very successful, is being developed further, and will hopefully be presented to the children in the Lakeside School District next year.