As the First Lady of Maryland, Katie O'Malley is trying to make an important point about bullying awareness, and this week she talked about how to rid our schools and communities of bullying.
Mrs. O'Malley said "The effects of bullying last a lifetime, and our goal is to keep our children safe and our families aware." This statement really sums up what I am working to achieve with my Happy Kids Safe Schools initiative. Many states including Maryland have passed antibullying laws, but Mrs. Omalley acknowledges there is still work to be done.
Recently in Minnesota, we saw in an MPR special report that as many as 1 in 2 children could be impacted by bullying. In Maryland, Mrs. O'Malley mentioned that over 3,000 instances of bullying were reported during the 2009-2010 school year alone - which is about 10 instances of reported bullying every single week in Maryland. We are making progress, and I'm glad to see the First Lady of Maryland take a stand against bullying and stand up for the kids in her state by promoting Maryland's bullying awareness week.
We have a lot of work to do in Indiana, and a big step forward will be getting a anitbullying law proposal that makes it to the floor for a hearing so we can hear testimony from kids, teachers and parents. Remember, you don't have to be a first lady to take a stand against bullying - try declaring this week bullying awareness week in your home, and use it as a motivator to talk to your school principal or school board member. Let them know you want safe schools and happy kids.
June is almost here and in less than a month the 31 contestants competing for the title of Miss Indiana will take the stage in Zionsville for the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant. I can't wait to see you there cheering us on! Don't forget you can still make a contribution to my fundraising goal for Children's Miracle Networking by searching for my name under Indiana online at the CMN Miss America fundraising page at www.missamerica4kids.org.
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