CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Several of the entries into the anti-bullying campaign were displayed by the kids this week. Advertisement

The students at Rosemary Clarke Middle School are making it known they're not going to tolerate bullying of any kind on their campus, and the 10 winners of the recent poster contest have made that message unmistakable.

The posters colorfully and proudly proclaim statements of students taking a stand against a common scourge on schools, from "RCMS wants to take a bite out of bullying" to "We may not all look the same but we're all equal."

The contest was part of the ongoing activities for the recently formed anti-bullying committee at the school.

There were two categories, one for poster size entries and one for letter-size entries.

Seventh-grader Diana Lopez won first place for the letter size entries, followed by Melanie Lawdensky, Bret Kunzi, Kenneth Harper and Christina Hyde.

Jennifer Hyde won first place for the poster-size category, with Chelsie Stone, Zach Harris, Vanessa Dunham and Austin Bolton joining the winner's circle.

The successful contestants ranged from every grade at the school.

The students ended their Halloween/Pajama Day on an especially high note, walking away with prizes that included a camcorder, a digital camera, a CD player and even a mobile game system for a car.

But the contest was only one part of the anti-bullying task force (to be named from students' suggestions) which has been in full swing since the start of the school year.

The task force is comprised of counselors, administrators, teachers, parents and students and focuses on prevention and education.

Classes have been visited by counselors who have given talks on recognizing and standing up to bullying. Recently students attended presentations on "Standing Tall," which taught them to use assertiveness skills against bullying and harassment.

Teachers also attended a similar presentation during a teacher in-service day.

In addition, the "No Bully Zone" tags that have been distributed to students are hanging from many of their backpacks and binders.

Currently preparations are being made to integrate "Peace Week" into the program, which will take place Nov. 13-18.

During the week, students will participate in a variety of activities (such as Wacky Hair Day and wearing shirts backwards to show they're turning their backs on violence) that foster understanding and cooperation.

Also, a peace pole will be dedicated on the campus in December.

However, the program is still in need of community support, for everything from prizes for future contests to financial support.

If you would like to contribute or participate in the program, call Sanchez at 775-727-5546, ext. 2100.