Another anti-bullying assembly? Are kids raising their eyebrows? After these assemblies, does bullying seem to increase?
Another anti-bullying assembly?
Have you heard the above statements about anti-bullying assemblies? Are you one of the people who believes they have no value?
Actually, they can have incredible value if done right. They must present the information in the right way. Not a good idea to lecture students or have Continue reading
How can we truly change the climate in our school? Can we actually re-form opinions that students and staff possess? Is there a way we can change a negative or mean-spirited school climate into one where cooperation, kindness and consideration abound? Can respect activities actually make a positive difference?
Many Respect Activities at St. Sofia School
The short answer is yes; these kinds of changes can be made. In fact there are schools in our own jurisdictions that prove this fact. Attempting to define the actual system or step by step list of procedures to achieve these goals could be a challenge, but it is safe to say that some basic respect activities can go a long way toward making a difference. Here are some tips to get started.
First of all we must define what we are actually trying to achieve. Many people would agree that we are trying to achieve a climate of respect within the walls of the school. In my opinion respect must start from the top and sift its way down. If the administration, including all the teachers, all support staff and even custodial staff live respect in their day-to-day work at the school, then others will begin to take notice. By others I mean students and even any parents that may be in the school. Many teachers use model respect to their students daily and many teachers use specific respect activities in their classrooms in their day-to-day teaching and have done it for years.
If your older students in the school show respect to each other, younger students will definitely begin to take notice. As younger kids began to learn from their older role models, they will begin to see respect as the norm. Situations and incidences which do not show respect will begin to be seen as highly unusual and unacceptable. All of these steps, of course, take time to initiate. In some schools it may take months, others may take years, while still others could possibly take decades in order to make these kinds of profound changes.
There are a number of tools which can help speed up this change so the transition can begin to take place sooner. The following activities will help to grow respect and to compound the effects:
1/ Form a student group which focuses completely on posters, announcement reminders, and other methods of awareness to help remind students and staff about the goal of achieving respect.
2/ Run special spirit days throughout the year which will help you get people on board in a fun way. Examples are: pink shirt stand up for respect day, be kind to someone day, pass on a smile day or respect activities workshop day.
3/ Special assemblies can also be a great way to help lift the spirits of the student body, and get everyone working in the same direction.
The above ideas for respect activities are only starters, but once you begin, I believe you will be moving toward a most worthwhile destination — achieving a climate of true respect in your school.
Bruce Langford presents anti-bullying and respect workshops internationally. www.StandUpForRespect.com
The Hunger Games is huge. Almost everyone has something to say about how appropriate the themes are or how much violence is involved. Recently I read a report that there were more than forty-one instances of violence … and that is in the first book alone. I would like to hear from you. How much bullying and violence did you notice as you read the series? Do you feel the story-line is appropriate for teens or pre-teens?
I am including a quick review by a teenager who has read the books:
“The Hunger Games was, in my opinion, a great book. There are many important issues and emotional stress that are dealt with in the book. I believe it is very beneficial to those who read it, however, the age group targeted (11-16 year olds) is generally too young to appreciate the important issues discussed in the book. Things like child cruelty, rebellion, and war go right over the heads of the younger kids who read it. Missed, too, are the important roles of love and inner turmoil. These books would gain greater appreciation if they were targeted to an older, more mature audience.”
Review by Tyson Longfield, Graduate of Lord Dorchester Secondary School, Dorchester Ontario (Thames Valley District School Board)
Stay tuned for more teen reviews of The Hunger Games in the next few days.
Let me know what you think? Please leave a comment.
Bruce Langford is a teacher, speaker and presenter of school bullying prevention programs. www.standupnow.ca
Today we visited Trillium Woods Public School in Toronto area (Richmond Hill). Stand Up Against Bullying was presented three times to the various divisions. Students and staff responded with interest and enthusiasm.
Teacher, Kim Moses e-mailed us this immediate positive response:
“Hi Bruce, I just wanted to say thank you again for coming to our school. I was impressed with how each presentation was tailored to the needs and interest 
level of each division. The presentations were creative and interactive and they certainly captured the attention of the students. Thank you again for addressing such an important topic in such an engaging manner. Take care.
Kimberley Moses, Teacher Trillium Woods Public School, Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Toronto area schools could all learn from how bullying prevention is handled at Trillium Woods School.
I want to share with you, The Trillium Woods Pledge:
At Trillium Woods Public School we respect ourselves, each other and our environment. We are responsible for what we say and do. We feel safe at our school. We speak up for ourselves and for others. We help each other without being asked. At Trillium Woods, nous respectons la diversitè. At Trillium Woods we can succeed.
Trillium Woods Public School is part of the York Region District School Board
Bruce Langford is a teacher, presenter and anti-bullying advocate who delivers talks, presentations and keynotes on the topic of bullying and respect.
www.standupnow.ca
Virgin Islands Sunset
Here is a bullying acronym – Ways to turn bullying around:
Beautiful person that has a
Unique personality and can be a
Loyal friend also
Loving & caring so
Youth stand up for your rights and
Individuals take a stand
Never give up on yourself and
Grow your confidence.
Never give up – keep on being strong.
Stand Up Against Bullying!
This acronym was created by students at the United States Virgin Islands Youth Summit 2012 under the leadership of Bruce Langford www.brucelangford.ca
Bullying can often be prevented by having a well developed level of self-confidence. In fact, studies have led people to believe that confidence is the single most important quality to help you avoid being bullied. However, there is a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance. People who are arrogant and cocky tend to be that way in one area of their lives and when they move into a different environment, they no longer have the ability to appear confident. Doubt yourself for a second, and people will be able to pick up on that momentary self-doubt.
Make up your mind to learn as much as you can about self-confidence and how to achieve it. You will learn that self-confidence comes from many sources such as personal experience, background and your ability to control your thought processes.
Let us know what you have learned about self-confidence. Share a comment and we’ll all learn a little more about this incredibly important topic.
We share tips about confidence in our ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies designed specifically for school audiences. www.StandUpForRespect.com
EST = Earnscliffe Step Team
E S T – Earnscliffe Step Team
Amazing confidence. Precise rhythms. Spectacular showmanship.
This describes the Earnscliffe Step Team from Earnscliffe Senior Public School in
Earnscliffe Step Team Logo
Brampton, Ontario.
They came to perform. Parents came to be entertained by the step team and to learn how to deal with bullying from guest speaker, Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions.
An audience of over eighty-five watched videos, listened to stories, and cheered on the student actors who performed anti-bullying role plays.
Dealing with bullying requires the same kind of discipline, confidence and respect shown by the members of the Earnscliffe Step Team.
D C R – Discipline Confidence Respect
All are needed to ‘Stand Up For Respect’ and do something, rather than just being a bystander.
Earnscliffe Senior Public School
Encourage others at your school the way Earnscliffe students encourage their Step Team!
That spirit of encouragement will grow into more confidence and more respect.
As visitors to Earnscliffe, this is the kind of respect we experienced from Vice-Principal, Claudio Moschella and Earnscliffe Principal, Gursh Budwal. Keep up the great work, Earnscliffe students and staff!
William G. Davis Middle School, Cambridge Ontario
A Cyber-safety tip for you:
Don’t meet people you have met on-line.
You’ve been chatting for three months. You know the person so well you consider them a good friend. They read the same magazines you do. They watch the same TV shows. They play the same computer games.
Then why not meet up when you get a chance?
Answer: As strange as it seems, even though you feel you know this person as well as any of your friends, they actually may not be the person you think. This may not be a 13 year old girl, but instead a 43-year-old man who is trying to lure people to locations.
The above scenario is based on a role-play we did at William G. Davis Public School in Cambridge. The role-play has powerful impact when student actors play the characters, including the two police officers who end up meeting the 13-year-olds at the mall.
Following the grade 7/8 student Cyber-bullying assemblies, we received the following comments:
“Excellent presentations with very relevant information on many different aspects of the internet!”
Carol Hagerman, Vice-Principal, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge
“I would absolutely endorse Bruce Langford’s assemblies. Your way of presenting really worked for our grade 7/8 students!”
Kim Stenhouse, Teacher, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge
“That was great! I really liked your interactive approach with the live music and acting.”
Nancy McKinnon, Teacher, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge
To book programs for your school, visit www.standupnow.ca or phone Stand Up Now at 1-800-901-8831
The Soccer World Cup in South Africa will be an exciting sporting event and Samuel Eto’o is one of the players to watch. He has scored over 100 goals in five seasons with FC Barcelona. As a member of the Cameroon national team, he was a part of the squad that won the 2000 Olympic tournament. He is a Cameroonian who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Internazionale.We talked about World Cup Soccer and Respect at Valley Park Middle School in Toronto yesterday. Vice-Principal, Sandra Larosa was ‘totally thrilled with Bruce Langford’s assemblies’ and said ‘our middle school kids really connected with the message!’
Remember to ‘Stand Up For Respect’ in your world and with your friends. We will be happy to present musical assemblies about respect at your school. Call Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 or email at info@standupnow.ca.
Middle School Bullying Prevention Presentation
Bystanders can make a big difference if they decide to do something to stop the meanness. Our anti-bullying school assemblies for intermediate students using videos, role-plays and music will teach your kids how the bystander can make a positive difference. Students tell us they relate to the bullying scenarios in the role-plays we teach. In the video below, a kid gets bullied as he walks down the stairs, but wait … is there a twist? See what someone decides to do. See how one person can make a difference in a matter of seconds. This shows how bystanders can become winners.
Book school assemblies with Stand Up Now Productions telephone number 1-800-901-8831 or email info@standupnow.ca