On Monday, Badgers participated in the nation wide event, Stomp Out Bullying. We wanted to devote time to discuss the issue of bullying, as so many students experience it at some point during middle school. Students were mixed randomly, to help them mingle with those outside of their circle of friends. Each group of ten students was guided by a professional from our building. We were thrilled to welcome Ms. Sand, our school's Librarian, Mrs. Dichard, our 7th grade Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Bennett, our school's Social Worker, Mrs. Peasley, our team's Special Educator, Mr. Allen, one of our paraprofessionals, and Mr. Tesini, our Assistant Principal to join the five of us, allowing our groups to be small.
The day kicked off in the cafeteria with a Values Auction. Students had the opportunity to bid on different values, using straws as currency. At the end, the students discussed the meaning of the values, and why some kids considered some values more valuable than others!. Learning that students have different value systems is important, as these are the characteristics which make us unique.
In the next activity, students were presented with different scenarios depicting acts of bullying. They were asked to write suggestions in three areas: What would you do? Why would you do that? and How could school help?. The discussions helped kids to see that there are always different ways to handle difficult situations.
Next, we went into the gym for an anti-bullying assembly and team activity before we headed out on the track for the Walk-a-Thon fundraiser. Most kids walked 10 laps within the hour, with Carlos taking the lead at 17 laps. Everyone had fun socializing with their peers and getting in some exercise. The PTO received approximately $4,500 for our students!
After lunch we watched Bullied, a
documentary produced for middle level students by Teaching Tolerance, an
organization acclaimed for their manner of tackling difficult issues for
kids. We learned the consequences of chronic bullying and how Jamie was able to overcome his middle and high school experiences. At the end of the day students returned to their mix-it-up groups to debrief the video. We talked not only about what happened to Jamie but what is happening here at Pennichuck and offered ideas to help alleviate the problems.
If you would like to view the video, CLICK HERE, to get a free copy.
