South H.S. celebrates service to others

Judging by his turkey suit, you could be forgiven for thinking that John Kostkowicz was the loser of a contest at South High School last week, but au contraire — the teacher’s box of food donations netted more than those of his opponents, marking the end of the school’s Unity Week, during which anti-bullying and pro-service messages were highlighted.

Students signed anti-bullying pledges, heard lessons about how to be “upstanders” when they see someone in trouble, imparted anti-bullying messages to younger students and received awards for acts of kindness. Those were just some of the features of South’s initiative, which has been in place for the last 10 years.

This year’s initiative was designed by the school’s character action team, a club led by advisors Colleen Byrne, a special education teacher, and social worker Karen Grant.

Principal Maureen Henry said that the school’s anti-bullying push has had a visible impact over the last decade. She hears less name calling and vulgarity in the hallways, she said, and sees students looking out for each other more often, showing a sense of responsibility for fellow students who they witness being mistreated.

“I’ve seen a change in the climate,” Henry said.