By Stephanie Lauritzen

Cottonwood-Holladay - Bonneville Jr. High students celebrated Red Ribbon Week with the theme “Respect Yourself!” from Oct. 19-23.  The week’s events ranged from the whimsical -- sporting a favorite superhero shirt and wearing tie dye, to the inspirational -- listening to a talk by BYU Professor Hank Smith on the importance of integrity in every day choices.  

“Red Ribbon Week at Bonneville Jr. High was a great success. This week reminds students that their choices do make a difference,” assistant principal Cathy Thompson said. 

Red Ribbon Week is sponsored by the Bonneville Jr. PTA, who chose the  theme “Respect Yourself” based on the belief that “if our students learn to respect themselves for the amazing person they are, it will reflect on their daily decisions. If a student believes they are worth something it will influence their choices. They will treat others with more respect too.”  

The week began with giving each student a #bjhrespectyourself bracelet, and on Oct. 20, students attended an assembly with Hank Smith, a BYU professor and author. Thompson appreciated his advice to students. 

“His message was strong and clear and focused on student choices. He also talked about how any kind of bullying is unacceptable, and that we have choices every day in our lives to keep our bodies healthy and drug free,” Thompson said.

Bullying was a major theme in the week’s activities, with students wearing superhero shirts to represent everyday heroes who act as good examples in the school, and tie dye shirts to remind students to say “peace out” to bullies. The week ended with a dance in the gym during lunch, and while Thompson said “it was fun to see everyone united” in matching clothes during the week, she hopes students learned more long-lasting lessons too. 

“Our school can be a safe environment for all students to learn in a positive way,” Thompson said.