THE National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence fell on March 20 and more than 60 schools across the Northern Territory registered to take part.

Run in tandem with Harmony Day – a national day which celebrates cultural diversity – school students around Katherine joined in the nationwide movement to “take a stand together” against bullying and violence in schools, classrooms and beyond.

At Katherine South Primary School, activities took the form of rotational classes in 30-minute blocks, each with a different focus.

Year 6 students Jim Rollinson and Jade Short said they particularly enjoyed an activity where they wrote down anonymous compliments about their classmates.

Teacher Khushi Chauhan explained that the compliment should be based on the characteristic of the person and not simply related to physical attributes.

At St Joseph’s Catholic College Katherine, students from Transition through to Year 12 recognised and celebrated the day together with a barbecue lunch and classroom activities throughout the day.

The school’s wellbeing co-ordinator, Mary-Lou Fischer, said students were encouraged to wear a splash of orange in honour of the day.

NT Education Minister Peter Chandler said the initiative was a chance to give students in the Territory a greater voice and the opportunity to take a public stand against bullying and violence.

“It is fantastic to see so many Territory schools registering to join the campaign against bullying,” Mr Chandler said.