The School of Discovery is waging war against bullying and drug abuse.

The school hosted a program Friday morning for its sixth graders to teach them about bullying and saying no to drugs.

“We’ve been talking to our boys and girls about bullying and drug prevention the entire year,” said Cicely Curtis, principal of School of Discovery. “This month is national bullying prevention month, so they have been hearing it from us.”

Curtis said her students have heard about the consequences of bullying and drug use from their teachers time after time, but she wanted them to hear those same lessons and more from community leaders.

“A lot of times when someone comes from the outside to tell you the same thing you’ve been hearing from the inside, it has a greater impact,” Curtis said. “And it aligns with our goals and what we’re trying to instill in our boys and girls.”

The students heard from District Attorney Michael Jackson and his wife Miah Jackson, who is with Dallas County Court Services about bullying and drug awareness.

“Bullying goes on across the country in school systems, and it is going on in Selma,” Michael said. “Unfortunately that is detrimental to a learning environment for kids, so we’re trying to get a message out that bullying shouldn’t go on.”

According to Miah, statistics show that children between the ages of 12 and 17 are aware of drugs, have tried drugs or are using drugs.

“We want to educate them at this pivotal point to make them aware of the dangers, some of the consequences and things they want to look out for, so they don’t fall into that statistic,” Miah said. “If it is just one that can remember our message to remain drug free, to be smart and don’t start, then we have accomplished something here.”

Bullying is a problem both children and adults face, but it starts at a young age.

“Sixth grade is a very critical age, so we want to reach our boys and girls before they get to seventh and eighth grade,” Curtis said. “Right now, they are just leaving elementary school and they are at the prime of their lives, but guess what? This is the year that is most impressionable.”

Students also heard from Lt. Johnny King and Sgt. Jeff Hardy with the Selma Police Department, along with the Rev. J.D. Fails and William Bowman with Visually Impaired People, Inc.

Bowman, who said he was bullied as a child for his impairment, focused on how to overcome bullying.

“As a victim of bullying all my life growing up with a visual impairment, I wanted to share with the kids that if they surround themselves with good people and get educated they can overcome being bullied,” Bowman said.

Bowman used music to teach valuable lessons.

“I was using my music to also show that if you take all of that anger that you have due to being bullied and put it into music or writing songs or whatever, it can help you overcome that,” Bowman said.

Michael Jackson said bullying leads to crime, so educating children at a young age can help deter them from a life of crime.

“Whatever we can do to educate these kids and their teachers and administrators about trying to prevent bullying and have the kids know there is a mechanism in place if they are being bullied where they can go,” Jackson said.