Bully-free Schooling

One night in April, lying in bed for stories, Keira let me know she no longer wanted to go to school.  She was very upset, and for the first time, told me how she had been bullied at school by three girls.  She also wanted to let her dad know.  So we called him to her room, and she told her "Protector," too.

The next day, I drove Keira to the school (Doug was out of town), ready to talk to the principal about what Keira had told me, and the gates were locked.

Gotta love a school that communicates in a different language OR doesn't communicate at all.

I had never received a note or anything.

I texted one lady who knows a little English, and she said, "I'm sorry.  My mother is sick, and I forgot to tell you." 

It gave Doug and I another day to pray about what we were going to say.

The next day, I asked my friend to come with Doug and me in the morning to Keira's school.  It was good timing to wait another day so Doug could go with me.  We also decided it would be better to have a translator to make sure we were being understood and we were understanding.

It turned out to be a good, healthy experience.  They thought we were coming in to complain about not knowing school was closed, and the principal was immediately very apologetic, but after understanding why we were there, they were also very serious.

They ended up calling the three girls in individually throughout the day and talking to them, and even though I feared backlash for Keira, the opposite happened.  Those girls ended up going out of their way to love on Keira and treat her with kindness.

Now that school is over, I can say happily that Keira finished the school year bully-free. 

Funny enough, the first week we talked to the school, Keira would get in the car in the afternoons and say, "Day one.  No bullies."  Then, "Day two.  No bullies," etc.

I am SO glad Keira told us, and I'm so glad we could step in and help, and I'm thankful for an administration that took measures to watch out for the well-being of my child.

There are a lot of things about this school I don't understand and I never will (wait until I tell you about graduation), but I am thankful for this experience.