Schreiber High School’s annual celebration of Unity Day took place on Oct. 20, directly after school on the track.  Many of Schreiber’s students,  clubs, athletic teams, and other organizations participated in the festivities which highlighted the school’s dedication to fight against bullying.  It included a ceremony that illustrated the unity in the student community.

Unity Day is celebrated across the country, as is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, which occurs during the month of October.  National Bullying Prevention Month was established in 2011 and schools across the nation have joined in the celebration ever since.  Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center’s mission for Unity Day is to, “Wear and share orange to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying.”  

While students are reminded of this message often by schools, Unity Day serves as a special day devoted to raising awareness against bullying and letting every kid know that they are not alone.

“I am really happy that Unity Day is recognized in the United States.  It is an extremely important day that conveys a very important message to all kids in schools throughout the country – that you are not alone and that bullying is not acceptable,” said junior Bryson Shaub.

As Schreiber returns to full in-person instruction for this 2021-22 school year, many special traditions and aspects of the school are returning to their normal forms, including Unity Day.  Organized by Schreiber’s Letter Club, the celebration consists of a two-lap walk around the track, with all participants dressed in orange.  Many students also carried posters throughout the walk, spreading anti-bullying messages and slogans. 

Prior to the walk, Mr Mejia, one of our school’s social workers, handed out free orange Unity Day T-shirts with a simple message: “Be Kind.” These shirts were distributed to students during lunch periods as they walked through the lobby.  The shirts were an example of the unity that would be displayed during the walk by the Schreiber student body. 

“I liked the fact that many of the students doing the Unity Day walk had the same shirt on or at least the same color on.  It really showed our school’s unity and contributed to the message we were trying to put out as a school,” said junior Jack McNaughton. 

After the sixth period bell, Schreiber students and faculty went to the track to prepare for the walk.  Many clubs gave event credits to their members for participating, and there was no shortage of representation from the array of student groups.  The Peer Helpers, Letter Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions Club (SADD), Full SupPORT, the National Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and others had members at the walk.  In addition, many athletes on Schreiber’s varsity sports teams that were getting ready to finish their seasons and prepare for playoffs took part in the ceremony.  Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte was also present and she walked with members of the Schreiber Student Advocacy Club.

The celebration commenced with the performance of the Star Spangled Banner by junior Christina Baris. 

“It was very special to be asked to sing the anthem at Schreiber’s Unity Day celebration.  There was a lot of energy out on the track with all of the school clubs and teams, and it is an honor to have sang.  Everyone stopped and took a moment to stop talking and reflect, possibly on their own experiences with bullying, while I was singing.  It was a great example of Schreiber’s commitment to spread kindness and end bullying,” said junior Christina Baris.

The walk itself was only two laps (half of a mile) around the track on Seeber Field, but it was clear that the message of unity was understood.  The messages that Schreiber students were spreading was powerful, as they came together, as one student body, to raise awareness on the fight against bullying. 

Throughout the two-lap walk, there was high energy from Schreiber students, and overall, it was a celebration of joy, uniting as one to create awareness on the problem of bullying.  Students showed that they were committed to spreading this positive message, as students from all grades came together on Unity Day to continue the fight against bullying.