Christian Preparatory Schools have an important job. We are not only responsible for helping students learn in the classroom. We also have a responsibility to help students learn how to treat others with kindness, respect, patience, and love. One important part of creating a healthy school is promoting kindness and preventing bullying. Students spend a large part of their day together, so the relationships they build at school are very important. As a Christian school, we also have the opportunity to teach students how to treat others by following the example of Jesus.
Our school goal, “Just, Live Jesus!”, is an important part of this message. Living like Jesus means more than simply knowing about Jesus. It means putting His teachings into practice through our words, actions, and relationships with others. When students choose kindness, include others, forgive, encourage their classmates, and stand against bullying, they are showing what it means to live like Jesus.
Bullying can happen in many different ways. It can include name-calling, teasing, spreading rumors, leaving someone out, physical actions, or using technology to hurt another student. Sometimes students do not understand how much their words or actions can hurt someone. Other students may see bullying but be afraid to speak up. Because of this, schools need to create an environment where kindness and respect are expected from everyone.
One way to promote kindness is to give students opportunities to build positive relationships with each other. Students need chances to work together, talk with each other, solve problems, and get to know their classmates. Group activities are a good way to do this. When students work together on classroom projects, sports, school activities, and other events, they learn that they are part of a team and a school community.
Group activities can also help students get to know people outside their normal group of friends. Many students spend most of their time with the same few friends. Teachers can create activities that allow students to work with different classmates. This gives students a chance to learn about each other and find things they have in common. As students get to know one another better, they may be less likely to leave someone out or treat someone poorly.
Having common goals is another good way to build relationships. When students work toward the same goal, they learn that everyone has a part to play. A class may work together on a project, prepare for a school event, or prepare for our Eagle Conference competitions. These activities require students to practice, communicate, encourage each other, and work together.
The Eagle Conference competitions can be a great example of teamwork. Students may have different skills and responsibilities, but they are all working toward the same goal. They learn that one person cannot always do everything. The group must work together. These experiences teach students important skills such as communication, patience, cooperation, encouragement, and respect.
Weekly chapel services can also play an important role in promoting kindness and preventing bullying. Chapel gives the school a regular time to remind students about the values that should guide their lives. Chapel sermons can talk about love, forgiveness, respect, patience, compassion, and treating others fairly.
Jesus gave us a clear example of how we should treat other people. In John 13:34, Jesus said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (New International Version). This is an important message when talking about bullying. Loving others means treating people with respect, even when we do not agree with them.
Chapel should not only be a time when students listen to a sermon. Students should also be encouraged to put what they hear into practice. For example, a chapel sermon could focus on encouraging others. Students could then be challenged to say something kind or encouraging to a classmate during the week. Another sermon could focus on including others and making sure no student feels left out.
Teachers and school leaders are also important examples for students. Students watch what adults do. Teachers should show patience, respect, fairness, and self-control. When teachers treat students and coworkers with kindness, they show students how they should treat others. Adults should also remind students that “Just, Live Jesus!” is something we should practice every day, not just during chapel.
Schools must also take bullying seriously when it happens. Being kind does not mean ignoring bad behavior. Students need to know that bullying is not acceptable. They should feel comfortable telling a teacher, administrator, or another trusted adult when they see or experience bullying. Students who see bullying should also know that they do not have to handle the situation by themselves. They can support the student who is being treated poorly and tell an adult.
Parents are also important in preventing bullying. Schools and parents should work together when concerns come up. Students receive a stronger message when the adults in their lives have the same expectations for kindness, respect, and good behavior.
Christian Preparatory Schools should also remember that every student is important. Students have different personalities, abilities, interests, and backgrounds. Some students are outgoing, while others are quiet. Some have many friends, while others may have trouble finding where they fit in. A strong school community should make every student feel welcome and valued.
Preventing bullying is about more than stopping bad behavior. It is about building a school where students understand that their words and actions matter. Group activities, common goals, classroom expectations, sports, Eagle Conference competitions, and weekly chapel can all help create a school culture based on kindness and respect.
Following the example of Jesus means learning to treat others with love, patience, forgiveness, and compassion. “Just, Live Jesus!” reminds us that our faith should be seen in the way we treat the people around us. When students learn these values and have opportunities to practice them, they can make a positive difference in the lives of their classmates.
The goal is simple. Every student should know that they are valued. Every student should have opportunities to belong. Every student should understand the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. When Christian Preparatory Schools make these values part of everyday school life, they can help students grow spiritually, morally, emotionally, intellectually, socially, physically, and academically, supporting the school’s mission of developing the whole student.
Most importantly, we want our students to understand that “Just, Live Jesus!” is more than a school saying. It is a daily challenge to live out the example Jesus gave us through the way we speak, the way we treat others, and the way we build relationships with those around us.
