On Friday, October 20, Penn Middle School hosted renowned international speaker and author Mr. John Halligan for a presentation to raise awareness of bullying, both in person and online. Mr. Halligan’s son Ryan took his own life in 2003 (at age 13) after being a victim of cyberbullying.
Through powerful video clips, still pictures, and the story of Ryan's life, Mr. Halligan gave students a first-hand perspective of the affects of bullying and cyberbullying, not only as a target but also as family and friends of a target. He issued two challenges to the students: (1) stop any kind of bullying they are doing and (2) stand up for those who are being bullied.
“When combating harassment and bullying, we want to address it proactively and reactively,” commented principal Mr. Simpson. “Ryan’s Story is a powerful message for our students to realize that words and actions matter. Someone they know could be hurting inside, so be the good and help, never hurt.”
Penn Middle School Student Council Officers Tanner DeStefano, Graydon Swartz, Daniel Lisbon, and Nate Casey join Mr. John Halligan