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tD h H O C N J EDITORIAL | OPINION Is-" vH _Q fc > £ C D Say `No' to bullying ABOUT US O 73 cr LU § Q Q LU < O £ c o -I-* C D JZ a 'cn a) It can feel like a lonely, confusing time if you are being bullied. And while our community has stepped up to throw sup port behind anti-bullying messages, awareness and actions, it' may still not feel like a perfect world if you are a victim. Sometimes, you can feel like you've fallen through the cracks, or that there are cracks in the systems that don't quite deliver on the well- intentioned promises. Don't give up. Often people reach out for help or to say more needs to be done. Often the media, and others, must adhere to boundar ies, such as those that affect youths, allegations that are not convictions in court, privacy laws. While all those boundaries exist for good reason, they concurrently make it difficult to single out problems, specifically bullying and abuse. Knowing where to turn can be the best help that can be offered because there are places and people within our com munity that can help. We can all do that. Typically, everyone in a position of authority is aware of the problem of bullying. They all represent an authority-- school board, police service, medical profession, community coun selling or advocate, government -- that has taken a stand against, and has protocol in place to deal with, the issue. And while it may sometimes require repeated attempts at approaching local resources to connect with the right assis tance, keep trying if you are a victim. This coming week is a good time to learn about and con nect with resources as schools throughout the Halton District School Board (HDSB) hold numerous activities Nov. 19-25 -- to recognize the Ontario Ministry of Education's designated Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. The goal is to encourage and promote respect for everyone while increasing awareness and prevention of bullying, says the board. "The Halton District School Board is always proud to high light Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week," says Stuart Miller, HDSB director of education. "Students must feel wel comed, safe and secure in their schools in order to be motivat ed to achieve success. We strive to emphasize to our students and staff, not just during this week, but throughout the year, that we all have a role in showing respect for each other. We are always working toward creating a culture of inclusion for all of our students," said Miller. Schools are hosting various activities during the week and throughout November. Burlington' s M.M. Robinson High School will see staff pro viding students and staff with encouraging messages and a `Pink Shirt and Resource Day' Nov. 23. Georgetown District High School 's GSA and Gender Stud ies Class will honour the Transgender Day of Remembrance Monday, Nov. 21. Milton' s Brookville Public School Grade 7 and 8 `Allies Team,' will visit classes to share information and strategies on how to respond to bullying. Oakville's Pine Grove Public School celebrates `PEACE Week. Activities include holding a `KIND Campaign' assem bly for female students Grades 6 to 8, focused on bullying prevention among girls. A workshop for male students will discuss healthy and supportive relationships and bullying pre vention strategies. According to the board, it is "committed to empowering students and staff to stand up to bullying and inequity, as well as standing together to build safe, equitable, caring and inclu sive environments in all schools throughout the school year." Beaver. The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday and Friday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario. View our digital edition online at: Insidehalton.com under Print Editions found in the footer. ·* m e tr o la n d m e d ia * " Connected to your community 9 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca News Media Canada Medias d 'lnfo Canada National NewsM ediaCouncil * LocalMedia editor@oakvillebeaver.com E @OakvilleBeav insidehalton.com |__ I @oakvillebeaver M y V ie w Tw o -year review o f fe d e ra l a cco m p lish m e n ts O ct. 19 marked the two-year anni versary of the last federal election. It has been a privilege to represent the interests of Oakvillians and I remain thankful for the opportunity to serve you. We've seen many positive changes in Canada as a result of a change in govern ment in 2015, and I am very proud of the progress we've made. I would like to take a moment to reflect on the federal government's legislative ac complishments. On the economic front, Canada contin ues to exceed analysts' expectations and is expected to outperform all other G7 coun tries in 2017. Consumer and business spending is strong, and the unemployment rate is the lowest it's been since 2008. The Organization for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD) cited government spending as one factor propel ling our economy. Our investments in public transit proj- ects, rail safety improvements, affordable housing, and business innovation are pay ing off. see Vowing on p.12 Pud by Steve Nease WHO WE ARE CONTACT US The Oakville Beaver 5 0 4 6 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 Phone 9 0 5 -8 4 5 -3 8 2 4 / Fax 9 0 5 -3 3 7 -5 5 6 8 Classified 1 -800-263-6480 Digital/Flyers/Retail Advertising 2 8 9 -2 93 -06 2 4 Real Estate/Homefinder.ca Advertising Suzanne Trickey / 2 8 9 -2 93 -06 7 7 / strickey@oakvillebeaver.com Letters to the editor All letters m ust be fewer than 20 0 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. 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