From November 16th to 20th, our school will be marking Anti-Bullying Week, an initiative aimed at raising awareness across the entire school community of the importance of preventing bullying and promoting positive relationships based on respect, empathy, friendship and inclusion. Throughout the week, a range of age-appropriate activities will encourage students to reflect on bullying, its different forms and consequences, as well as the role each individual can play in preventing it.
As part of the Portuguese National Curriculum, we will be working with the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR), the Portuguese National Republican Guard, who will deliver awareness-raising sessions for students in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cycles of education. Opportunities for interaction and shared learning between different educational stages will also be organised, with students from the 3rd Cycle taking part in initiatives aimed at pre-school and 1st Cycle pupils. These initiatives aim to raise awareness of the importance of mutual respect and empathy, encourage reflection on the boundaries between playful behaviour and violence, and promote attitudes that foster healthier and more positive relationships among peers. In addition, classroom activities will take place across the different educational stages, providing opportunities for dialogue and shared reflection on attitudes and behaviours that contribute to a safer, more positive and inclusive school environment. Particular emphasis will be placed on encouraging students to recognise the importance of their choices and the active role each individual can play in preventing bullying and promoting positive relationships.
Within the Cambridge Curriculum, a range of initiatives will also focus on raising awareness and encouraging reflection on bullying. These will include a collaborative project involving different year groups, in which students from Years 7, 8 and 9 will deliver presentations to students in Years 1 to 6. These activities aim to encourage dialogue, peer learning and reflection on the importance of respect, empathy and individual choices in building healthy relationships. Students in Years 1 to 6 will also take part in sessions delivered by the CAIDI Centre, focusing on recognising bullying behaviours, developing empathy and identifying positive strategies for dealing with challenging situations.
The week will begin on Monday, November 16th, with Odd Socks Day, an initiative involving the whole school community. On this day, we invite all students to wear odd socks as a symbolic way of celebrating diversity, embracing individual differences and reinforcing the message that everyone deserves to be respected and accepted for who they are.
On Thursday, November 19th, at 09h00, in the school auditorium, we warmly invite all Parents and Guardians to attend an anti-bullying awareness session delivered by the CAIDI Centre. The session will include elements in both Portuguese and English, aiming to facilitate the participation of families from both curricula. This will be an opportunity to share information and reflect on an issue that requires the involvement and cooperation of the entire school community.
Throughout the week, students from both curricula will also be invited to take part in the Kindness Challenge, a joint initiative encouraging them to turn small gestures into meaningful acts of empathy, respect, friendship and kindness towards other members of the school community. The aim is to demonstrate that every positive action, however small, can make a difference in someone’s day.
Beyond raising awareness of bullying, we hope this week will provide an opportunity to reinforce important values, promote individual and collective responsibility, and remind everyone that we all have an important role to play in building a school where every person feels respected, valued and included.
We would like to thank all families in advance for their support and cooperation, and we look forward to everyone’s participation in making this a meaningful week of learning, sharing and reflection for our entire school community.
Kind regards,
.
EITV, November 12th, 2026
The Anti-Bullying Week Team