Front page Daily Progress article about our Bully Nots!

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/mar/06/city-schools-student-group-makes-bullying-uncool-ar-887275/

Bully Nots new video

NBC 29 News came to see our school-wide Bully Nots performance. Here is the clip of the story that aired.

Work to stop bullying–message to a student from President Obama

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/5th-Grader-Gets-Obamas-Support-Against-Bullying-98797139.html?yhp=1

Song!

Here is the latest song I wrote for our S.O.L pep rally. It will be performed by all the 4th grade girls.

Feeling Like a Star!

News at Jackson-Via

Bullying Prevention at Jackson-Via

On Tuesday I spoke to our parents at the P.T.O about bullying prevention at Jackson-Via. Here are some main points from my presentation.

1. We take bullying seriously. As parents I know we all worry about bullying our children might experience, especially with some of the tragic reports in the news recently. Here at Jackson-Via, and in other city schools, we don’t think bullying is just a part of growing up. It’s unacceptable and we take preventing it very seriously.

2. Recently the city and County received a safe school grant. We have a full-time employee named Bob Garritty who works with schools to create safe and healthy environments. This year, all 3^rd and 4^th grade students have taken 2 bullying surveys. Mr. Garritty helps us analyze the data from these surveys and figure out where our strengths and weaknesses lie so we can address them. In the survey students are able to anonymously name students they have seen being bullied. It’s my job to follow-up with these students and investigate these reports.

3. Last year, Ms. Franklin (3rd grade teacher) and I partnered to form a leadership group called the Bully Nots. We do school-wide assemblies at Jackson-Via as well as travel to other schools. We promote an anti-bullying message through song, dance, raps and the spoken word. All students at Jackson-Via are encouraged to be upstanders not bystanders. They can be upstanders by telling a bully to stop, by offering support to someone being bulled, or by reporting to an adult.

4. Three years ago all staff members at Jackson-Via were trained in the Olweus bullying prevention program. This gives all staff a common language and standard procedure for dealing with bullying. We also have consistent rules about bullying that are posted in every classroom. Through classroom guidance lesson and class meetings, students are taught what bullying is and what they can do when they see it happening.

If you have any questions or suggestions about bullying prevention at Jackson-Via, please contact Kristin Link Ullrich, school counselor, at 245-2568 or e-mail her at Ullrich.Kristin@ccs.k12.va.us.

The Charlottesville Daily Progress – “Bullying is on the decline” – March 8, 2010

This morning the Charlottesville Daily Progress has an editorial lauding the effects of school anti-bullying programs like  our own Bully Nots.

Bullying is on the decline

A national study finds that physical bullying is declining, welcome evidence that programs instituted a few years ago to deter this danger to children are having an effect.

The Department of Justice study, conducted last year, found that reports of physical intimidation dropped from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to less than 15 percent in 2008. The percentage of incidents that rise to the level of outright assault also declined, from 45 percent to just over 38 percent.

It is the second recent study to verify such results.

Experts say that means anti-bullying programs are working.

Bullying became a serious national concern a few years ago when a spate of stories reported a growing numbers of cases of intimidation, and worse, among public school students. One incident from Fluvanna County prompted changes in Virginia law.

If students can be taught not to hurt others, emotionally or physically, they will develop important building blocks for future behavior, experts say. Conversely, bullying in school can herald more serious problems later on.

Continue reading:  Bullying is on the decline | Charlottesville Daily Progress.

Breaking News: Anti-bullying programs are having an impact

Today the Charlottesville Daily Progress carried the Associated Press article quoted below.  What good news!  We are so pleased with the results of our program here.

For more information, click on the link to read the complete article.

Bullying down sharply across U.S., survey finds

March 4, 2010
David Crary, The Associated Press

NEW YORK – There’s been a sharp drop in the percentage of America’s children being bullied or beaten up by their peers, according to a new national survey by experts who believe anti-bullying programs are having an impact.

The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, found that the percentage of children who reported being physically bullied over the previous year declined from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to less than 15 percent in 2008. The percentage reporting they’d been assaulted by other youths, including their siblings, dropped from 45 percent to 38.4 percent.

via Bullying down sharply across U.S., survey finds | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Headline | National News.