Woodland M.S. earns Internet safety grant

Woodland Middle School received a $2,000 grant in the “Power to Learn Delete Cyberbullying” contest on Jan. 18. Woodland students collected the most signatures during the yearlong initiative that featured activities to raise awareness among students and parents on the risks associated with cyberbullying.

Town Supervisor Kate Murray was present to congratulate the eighth graders who spearheaded the campaign. “I’m really impressed by the fact that Woodland Middle School came in first with the petition drive,” she said. “You gathered more signatures than any other school and that is an absolutely phenomenal, phenomenal reflection on you as students and the fact that you are taking cyberbullying so seriously.”

Assistant Principal Patricia Graham was excited for her students. “I think it’s absolutely amazing and overwhelming,” she said. “Our students, staff and community members stood up to take this very important pledge against cyberbullying.”

“It’s nice to see how education can be a life skill,” added Principal James Lethbridge. He said that the staff at Woodland has taken steps in the last five to ten years to create Internet safety awareness opportunities for seventh and eighth-grade students.

Ten schools received monetary awards for their contributions in the Cablevision cyberbullying pledge, which included three on Long Island.