Upwey South students Ally and Peyton with Tina MacLeod of the NAB.By Laura Gilmartin
UPWEY South Primary School has received a bucket load of teddy bears, and for good reason.
The public school is taking part in the Better Buddies program which is run by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
It aims to prevent violence against children by working to create safe and sensitive school communities in order to reduce student bullying.
The cuddly purple Buddy Bear is the chosen mascot.
In the program, prep students from 150 schools across Australia are paired with older students to form friendships that promote care, safety and comfort in the school environment.
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation was created in 1997 in memory of Alannah and Madeline Mikac, aged six and three, who were killed in the Port Arthur Massacre. Princess Mary of Denmark became International Patron of the foundation in 2005.
The Buddy Bears were delivered by Tina MacLeod of the National Australia Bank Ferntree Gully branch.
The bank provides the program with financial support and encourages staff to assist schools with Better Buddies activities.
“We support entirely the whole of community approach to anti-bullying,” said Ms MacLeod.
“It has been a privilege for our team to be involved in such a great program.”
One Australian child is reported abused or neglected every three minutes and those who are abused are more at risk of suffering from mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and involvement in crime later in life.
The Better Buddies program will expand to include more schools in 2009.
