As the New Jersey 2022-2023 school year starts, some students are unaware of the consequences behind bullying, harassment and intimidation.

Luckily, Del Val students would soon be reminded of available resources during S.A.D.D. Club’s Week of Respect, which ran from Oct. 3 through Oct. 7. The Week of Respect is a annual week of awareness that gives New Jersey schools an opportunity to focus conversations more on building a positive and anti-bullying environment.

Thanks to Heather Eckhardt, S.A.D.D Club Advisor, and the club’s students, Del Val was able to organize a week-long event. Del Val’s goal for the Week Of Respect is to help students have a positive mindset and to keep the kindness in the school community going all school year rather than just during this week. Eckhardt does this by sharing facts each day of the week to students and staff via email.

Del Val has been celebrating this week for over a decade, ever since it was created by the state of New Jersey.

“We have been doing this event every year since I started at DelVal in 2015,” said Eckhardt. “However, Week of Respect was established as part of the state’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, enacted in 2011.”

The Terriers celebrated this year’s Week of Respect by putting a twist on the Homecoming Spirit Week themes to focus on the importance of the Week of Respect.

Monday was “Respect for Self-Care,” which was celebrated by wearing pajamas. Tuesday’s focus was to “Respect Each Other” by dressing for success. Wednesday was “Anything But Hunger Day,” when S.A.D.D. asked that students bring in non-perishable food items on “Anything But a Backpack Day.” Thursday’s theme was “Respect for the Environment,” when students and staff wore Hawaiian shirts, Hawaiian leis or green for the environment. Friday was “Respect for Your School” day, when students dressed in Terrier blue and gold!

Spirit week was a fun week for all students to participate in that put true meaning behind all the fun festivities. Students learned as a community how to come together to respect each other and to live with positive mindsets throughout the school and school year.

“We want to encourage acceptance and respect, as well as celebrate diversity and our own uniqueness,” said Eckhardt. “Although in New Jersey, Week of Respect occurs the first week in October, our hope is that by sharing the facts, statistics and information, it will encourage our school community to be kind every day, all year long.”