Children come first at Quinte Mohawk School in Belleville Ontario

Bullying prevention and child safety is of top importance at Quinte Mohawk School in Belleville Ontario. Principal, Kathleen Vanderville makes sure children are the first priority at her school and that was obvious during our visit yesterday. Quinte Mohawk is brimming with beautiful murals, paintings, artwork and displays to proudly celebrate their culture.
Just look at this awesome painted door with the following script:

Children are…

Amazing – acknowledge them.
Believable – trust them.
Childlike – allow them.
Divine – honour them.
Energetic – nourish them.
Fallible – embrace them.
Gifts – treasure them.
Here Now – be with them.
Innocent – delight with them.
Joyful – appreciate them.
Kindhearted – learn from them.
Lovable – cherish them.
Magical – fly with them.
Noble – esteem them.
Open minded – respect them.
Precious – value them.
Questioners – encourage them.
Resourceful – support them.
Spontaneous – enjoy them.
Talented – believe in them.
Unique – affirm them.
Vulnerable – protect them
Whole – recognize them.
Xtraspecial – celebrate them.
Yearning – notice them.
Zany – laugh with them.

We thank Quinte Mohawk
School for the wonderful
hospitality and warm welcome!

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Bruce Langford presented ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ student assemblies at Quinte Mohawk school yesterday. See his website at: http://www.standupagainstbullying.com

Simcoe County District School Board School Welcomes Anti-Bullying Speaker, Bruce Langford

West Bayfield Elementary School in Barrie was our destination today, where we presented ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies to all students from JK to grade 8. Students were passionate about the topic. They were eager to learn as much as they could about the internet and the dangers of cyberspace. They told stories and acted out scenarios. The Simcoe County District School Board has raised awareness that dangers lurk in cyberspace. Students just wanted to learn the details.

We talked about how GPS encoding is embedded in photographs taken on many cell phones and how it can reveal exactly when the photo was taken. One student told us a story about how his facebook account had been hacked into and the violator set up another facebook account which was an exact duplicate of his own. The student had good news about the outcome. He was actually able to have the offending site removed, because he was able to get into it himself and have it deleted.

We were impressed when we arrived at the school, because students had posted visual artwork on the topic of ‘Caring’ and ‘Stand Up’ and how we can all stand together to trump bullying. I’ve included some of the photos here along with a short video.

Students, teachers and administrators told us how pleased they were with the three contrasting assemblies.

“Presentations were entertaining, insightful, and age appropriate. They were thoroughly enjoyed by all of our students and they learned a great from them. I would highly recommend Bruce’s presentations for any school.”
Mike Geer, Principal, West Bayfield Elementary School, Barrie Ontario

Bruce Langford, Anti-bullying advocate and international speaker presenter: www.brucelangford.ca

 

Determination, self-confidence and courage can stamp out bullying in U.S. Virgin Islands

Use determination and courage to stamp out bullying. Confidence and willpower can be strong forces when dealing with cruelty and the students here in the U.S. Virgin Islands know how to use their confidence to their advantage. It is important to be strong and stand up against meanness. Students must be willing to lead by example and show others they won’t put up with bullying. It is imperative for teachers to be on-board and to be willing to take a stand against bullying as well. We can all make a difference by using our inner strength and self-confidence to our advantage. Always keep your safety in the forefront of your mind. Your safety should be your first concern.
The students at Prophecy Academy in the United States Virgin Islands understand that their level of confidence can have a direct impact on the amount of bullying that takes place. We must all be strong and willing to help each other in our universal community. Just watch the video below, and you will see strong minded, confident youth who believe in themselves and are empowered by God to make a difference.
Just remember; Stand Up Against Bullying and take a stand!

School workshops, seminars and keynote talks by Bruce Langford, the Stand Up Against Bullying Guy www.standupagainstbullying.com

Advice: Grow self-confidence and learn how to avoid bullying

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

Talk out your bullying problems using a non-confrontational approach

Talk it out, talk it out, talk it out!

If you are being bullied, don’t keep it all inside you. You can talk it out with the person who is making life tough for you – as long as you do it in a non-confrontational way. Make sure you don’t sound threatening, and don’t display anger or frustration. Just stay cool, and casually talk it out with them.

If you are experiencing bullying on a regular basis, find someone you can talk to; find a trusted friend or adult; find a teacher or councilor. Talk out a situation that is bothering you and it can make all the difference in how quickly you are able to resolve the conflict.

Don’t have anyone to talk to?

Talk to yourself or your pet. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, call ‘KidsHelpPhone’ at 1-800-668-6868. You can also jot down your thoughts in a journal. This can really help you work through your problems. Just remember, keeping anger and frustration locked inside can eventually cause problems.

Talk it out in the most safe and confidential way possible.

Stand Up Now Productions –LiveSchoolShows about Bullying & Conflict Resolution with teacher/presenter Bruce Langford.

www.brucelangford.ca

Toronto school pleased with cyber-bullying student workshop

Gulfstream Public School in Toronto played host to bullying prevention assemblies including a cyber-bullying and cyber-safety workshop by presenter Bruce Langford.

Here is a tip shared with the students during the cyber-bullying assembly:

 Cyberbullying Tip: Unplug your webcam when you are not using it. Your computer could get hacked and if so, everything the webcam is focusing on could be seen by someone you don’t even know.
If your webcam is built into your computer, cover it with a piece of tape or a sticky note.
Don’t take the chance that someone could invade your privacy. Be careful!

 Bullying can happen as a result of computer hacking and a breach of privacy.

Gulfstream Vice-Principal, Donelda Schwartzentruber said “The assemblies were really good – just what we were looking for. The students were very attentive and our teachers were pleased.”

School Assemblies by Stand Up Now Productions www.standupnow.ca

 

Collingwood Area Schools Learn Bullying Prevention Strategies

Today we had the pleasure of visiting Burkevale Protestant Separate School in Penetanguishene, Ontario. It was a great experience because the school seems to live up to its Bill of Rights. Students told us how proud they are to be students at Burkevale. Some children we talked to told us that bullying seldom happens at Burkevale but in spite of that, the students were eager to learn more about ways they can deal with bullying and specifically how they can support each other. The ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies we presented today teach the value of community and these students showed us they understand many of these concepts already. Principal, Tim Mallon constantly encourages positive character growth in his students. Being around him during our visit proved his commitment to the character education he teaches daily, just by his example. He invited the students from St. Ann’s Catholic School in Penetanguisheen to join his students for the assemblies. Following the presentations, Mr. Mallon left us with several comments including the following: “Your Benny DL character and message really connected with our students. The mix of entertainment and serious reflection is a winning combination. Your presence capped off anti-bullying week perfectly!” Mr. Tim Mallon, Principal Burkedale Protestant Separate School, Penetanguishene Ontario.
Here are Burkevale’s Bill of Rights: We have: 1. The right to be treated with respect. 2. The right to express our feelings as long as the rights of others are not violated, 3. The right to our own physical and mental space 4. The right to ask for help if and when we need it, 5. The right to ask for information, 6. The right to have a learning environment that is safe and secure.

School assemblies designed to raise bullying awareness – www.atfm.ca

Respect Assemblies at York Region School by Popular Guest Speaker

Michaelle Jean Public School Vice-Principal, Heather Levitt was impressed by the ‘stellar’ performance of Presenter, Bruce Langford at the ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assembly which was a kick-off to the school’s character education program earlier today. Music, videos and role-play were all used to leave a lasting impression with the students.
Michaelle Jean student actors were extremely energetic and passionate during their performances for the school during the assemblies.

The students offered this tip as a way to keep respect in the school:

“Teachers should always try to make school fun! That will make students want to be respectful when they are at school. The teachers at our school almost always make learning fun!”
Above Comments by a Grade Three Student Actor

“The Stand Up For Respect performance by Bruce Langford was absolutely stellar! The assembly involved the kids in a fun, realistic way and thoroughly covered the topic of respect.”
Heather Levitt, Vice-Principal, Michaelle Jean Public School, York Region District School Board

Stand Up Now Productions presents assemblies at schools across Ontario.

 

 

When is Bullying Prevention Week 2011 in Ontario?

National Bullying Prevention week is November 13-19, 2011. All of November is a great time to focus on anti-bullying and ways to eliminate bullying behaviours in your school. Here are some ideas to raise awareness and help reduce bullying:
1. Encourage your students to write poems, stories or songs about anti-bullying themes. Display this throughout the school.
2. Include a bullying prevention tip on the daily announcements.
3. Have an anti-bullying conference with special guests and activities.
4. Decorate the halls with appropriate messages as part of a poster-making contest.
5. Have a pink or blue shirt ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ Spirit Day.
Some of your best ideas will come directly from your students. Meet with a group of enthusiastic students who will discuss bullying prevention ideas and brainstorm creative ways to get all the students and staff involved.

I Vow To Stand Up Against Bullying

Stand Up Against Bullying T-Shirts can be ordered by contacting Stand Up Now Productions at Stand Up Now dot ca.

Toronto School Assemblies to Stop Bullying Dead in its Tracks

 
As adults, we are responsible for our children and youth. We must show by example how to stop bullying. We must refuse to allow bullying to rear its ugly head. It is necessary for us to understand exactly what bullying is, before we can snuff out its existence. Children also must understand what bullying is and the strategies they can use to stop it. These strategies are taught as part of ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies by Stand Up Now Productions.
Cyber-bullying has become a major problem in our society. Parents must show strength and courage in an attempt to lead children down the right path. A teacher recently commented: “The Stand Up Against Bullying assemblies need to be mandatory in every school, every year. Kids get the concepts through these programs; they just need to be reminded on a regular basis.” 
Bruce Langford and Stand Up Now Productions recently visited Whitehorn Public School in Mississauga for the second time. Their  head-on way to improve their school climate is impressive.  Whitehorn Principal, Mrs. Margaret Patterson knows exactly how to get everyone on board to help stop bullying in its tracks. At her school, students and staff use the slogan ‘Soar To The Peak’ to motivate.

The word peak stands for:
Participation / Effort / Achievement / Kindness
We can all learn from this concentrated effort. Let’s ‘Soar To The Peak’ to reduce bullying!
www.standupnow.ca 1-800-901-8831

Keep Your Focus and Believe the Bullying Will Stop

 I often talk to people about their own experiences with bullying. I was at a school recently where I talked to someone about her own personal experiences. She said bullying had been part of her life for years. She had told people about the meanness and about specific hurtful examples. She explained how she sometimes spoke up and asked the bully to stop. She tried to stay confident. She read as much about bullying as she could. She talked to friends about her frustrations. She asked her parents for advice. She said there were times when she felt discouraged, but she never gave up. She was determined that the bullying would stop and she just kept imagining a day when people would not pick on her.

When she was going into grade 6, she tried even harder to stay focused on her vision of no bullying. She said, as the year progressed, she noticed the bullying started to decrease. More people were nice to her. People would sometimes stick up for her. After Easter she realized that the bullying had actually stopped completely. She never forgot her struggles though. They remained vividly etched in her mind.

This is the kind of good-news story that can help everyone realize that bullying can be conquered! Now that she is a grade six teacher herself, she was able to tell me her story with clarity and focus. Even though it was a tough struggle, she is a shining example for her students today, and she has empathy when students talk to her about their own challenges with bullying.

Bullying prevention is the focus in our School Assemblies. Visit www.atfm.ca or www.brucelangford.ca for more information

Anger Management and Bullying Prevention in Toronto Ontario

We have presented workshops to hundreds of children in the greater Toronto area.
Here are some tips about anger:

1. Try to figure out why you are angry. Ask yourself questions to find out.
2. Try to leave the situation that is causing the anger. If you can’t, take ten deep breaths and let each one out slowly.
3. Wait before you do or say anything. If you say or do something in anger, you may be sorry later. You are responsible for your words and actions.
4. Get moving. Be active. Anger is often released by exercise and activity.
5. Write down your thoughts. Let them pour out. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Keep this to yourself until you have read it over and some time has passed. Things may seem different by that time.
6. If you still feel angry, find a trusted adult to talk to. Share your thoughts and listen to the adult’s advice. If you don’t know who to talk to, call Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868.

   Anger can cause bullying. Anger can cause people to be bullied. We all have anger at times. Try to deal with your anger without being mean to others. Bruce Langford presents workshops on bullying prevention to help with relationship issues.

www.StandUpAgainstBullying.com

 

Stop Bullying Behaviours by Using 3 Powerful Dragon Qualities

Norwich School Students Use Dragon Qualities to Stop Bullying situations. We visited Norwich Public School, home of the dragons on Friday. Dragons

Famous Norwich Public School Dragon

are believed to be strong, sensitive and brave. These are the very attributes needed by a person who will ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’. Bystanders stand by while mean things are said or done. A ‘stand-upper ‘ will use the dragon qualities of strength, sensitivity and bravery to ‘stand up against bullying’. Children should never be expected to deal with these issues alone though. Adults need to be right there to encourage children whenever necessary.  Teachers, administrators, support staff and children can all work together to stand up against bullying and make sure no one suffers because of bullying.

Encourage and model respect and as a result bullying will automatically begin to disappear . You will experience respect at Norwich Public School (Thames Valley District School Board) where we presented ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies. Students from Otterville Public School and North Norwich Public School joined together with the Norwich Public School students to learn ways to show respect. Role-plays, videos and songs all helped children understand how to grow respect.
Be like the dragon; use your strength, sensitivity and bravery to stand up against bullying;
be a ‘stand-upper’ and Stand Up For Respect!

Bruce Langford of ‘Stand Up Now’ Productions will visit your school to present bullying prevention programs. Contact him at 1-800-901-8831 or visit the website at www.standupnow.ca

Inspirational School Sponsors Stand Up To Bullying Assemblies in Waterloo Board

Woodland Park has spirit! Here is the proof. Everywhere you look you are inspired with displays, slogans, quotes and murals. Even more inspirational than that are the warm vibrations you get from the staff and students. Everyone works together at Woodland Park to make sure the positive feeling is alive. Here are some of the messages we read when we arrived at the school to present our ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies.
No matter who you are,
Or where you’re from
Your future is up to you!
Experience the power of community.
Open hearts and open minds.
LIVE A PERFECT DAY.
DO SOMETHING KIND FOR SOMEONE
WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPAY YOU.
Every day, try to be a little kinder than necessary.
Principal, Mrs. Ogilvie, takes great pride in the amount of school spirit present within these walls. Cooperation, joy, kindness, caring and hope. These are all attributes that matter in school. They are all present at Woodland Park School. Teachers, children, administration and support staff all work together to achieve happiness and peace at Woodland Park. Children thrive when they feel the powerful positive vibes in their environment like those present at Woodland Park.
Woodland Park Public School in Cambridge is an inspiring school!
Woodland Park, Home of the Bears, sponsored Cyberbullying Prevention Assemblies by Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions. Principal, Mrs. Ogilvie said “the feedback was excellent and the messages were exactly what we were hoping for!”

Wisdom and Respect Workshop in York Catholic DSB School

 

St. Matthew's Virtues Tree, Markham

Founded on Faith
Growing with Hope
Rooted in Love
Faith, Hope and Love are key virtues at St. Matthew Catholic School in Unionville (Markham) Ontario.

The 9 St. Matthew’s Virtues:

Unity
Wisdom
Reverence
Perseverance
Justice
Responsibility

St. Matthew's Hawks Mascot

Courage
Compassion
Integrity

In the student workshops today, we focused on Wisdom and Respect. These are very important virtues because they can shape you as the person you were meant to be. Use your wisdom to make the best choices. Use your wisdom to do things without having to be asked. That is how initiative is related to wisdom. Use your wisdom to show respect, help others and make the world a better place. Use your wisdom to grow your faith.

St. Matthew Catholic School, YCDSB

The students here at St. Matthew Catholic School take the virtues of respect and wisdom seriously. They want to use their wisdom to help grow their understanding of respect.

St. Matthew’s School

St. Matthew School Mural

 Principal, Mrs. Veronica Robinson said she would recommend the ‘Stand Up For Respect’ workshops to the other Principals in the York Catholic District School Board.
“Bruce Langford inspired and engaged all our students with his presentation skills. Excellent assemblies!”
Mrs. Veronica Robinson (Principal), St. Matthew Catholic School, Markham
(York Catholic District School Board)

Students and staff left a lasting impression with us today at St. Matthew Catholic School in Markham! Remember, ‘Stand Up For Respect’.

‘Stand Up For Respect’ workshops are available for your school. Contact Bruce Langford at Stand Up Now Productions 1-800-901-8831.

Bullying Prevention Assemblies with Religious Faith Content in Dufferin Peel Catholic Schools

Virtues at St. Andrew School

Empathy, conscience, hope, respect, acceptance, kindness, self-control and fairness are all virtues honoured at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orangeville Ontario. We presented our ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies at the school yesterday and were wowed by the amazing reception from students, staff and administration. It was our second visit, after presenting ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ during our last visit hosted by Mr. Gregory Krar.

This time, the students were just as respectful and showed even more excitement, since most of them

Mrs. Hageman's Display Case

remembered us from our last visit. We put a lot of effort into the rehearsal of the role-plays with pre-selected students from St. Andrew. The volunteer students who did the acting were just excellent at their parts and really made a strong statement with the audiences.

Mrs. Hageman is the teacher-librarian at the school. She arranged all the details of our visit

The Stand Up Against Bullying Vow

and was a very gracious hostess representing St. Andrew. She watched all three assemblies and was most appreciative of what she saw.

Principal, Mrs. Cindy Young, described the assemblies with great enthusiasm: “Each assembly was right on the mark! You hit on all the important aspects of what we want our St. Andrew students to live by. I really liked how you changed your assemblies for each age group!”

St. Andrew Banner

(Mrs. Cindy Young, Principal at St. Andrew Catholic School)

This school has left a very powerful impression! The students were genuine in their appreciation of the topic. They want to be positive role models and do their part to reduce bullying. The staff was supportive and on board with the topic. We will remember our day at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orangeville (Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board DPCDSB) for a long time!

St. Andrew School Painting on Ceramic

How to teach children not to bully… (Peel School Board)

Whitehorn Public School in Mississauga has some answers to this question. ‘Soaring to the Peak’ is an answer you will hear from the children. You see, Whitehorn Mountain is in Mount Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. It is a 2,621 metre high mountain of pure natural beauty.

The students of Whitehorn School know they must strive to meet the challenge of ‘Soaring to the Peak’ by:

Participation
Effort
Achievement
Kindness

Q. What is a person called who sees and hears meanness, but they don’t do anything about it?

A. Scared.

That is the answer we heard yesterday from a student who watched a role-play in our ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assembly and felt empathy for the person being bullied. In the adult world, the correct answer to the question is ‘bystander’. Children need to know that a bystander is not a bad person. A bystander may not know what to do, or the incident may have happened so fast, they didn’t have time to react. It is important to teach children what bystanders can do to reduce bullying behaviours, but let’s not blame children for not stepping in when we also tell them to always look out for their safety.

Whitehorn Public School is a respectful place because people care. People know that teaching respect means modeling respect. Principal, Mrs. Margaret Patterson is a great example of how to nurture respect in a caring environment. Mrs. Patterson and her staff definitely ‘Soar to the Peak’ at Whitehorn Public School!

Cyber-bullying & Cyber-safety Workshops for Elementary Students get high marks

St. Benedict Catholic School, Orangeville (Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board) welcomed Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions.
Principal, Mr. Gregory Krar was very pleased with the ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies. “These assemblies were exactly what we wanted for our students. Bruce Langford made the topic of cyberbullying interesting and entertaining for our students. The videos and role-plays made the messages easy to understand.” Mr. Krar was just as pleased with the Stand Up Now workshops when they were presented at his last school, St. Andrew Catholic School in Orangeville.

Students got involved in the dialogue, with one student warning others about the potential dangers of web cams. He explained how your computer can be hacked and the hacker can actually see what your web cam is seeing.
One student said she would use the tip about including numbers or symbols in passwords.
We were impressed with the students at St. Benedict. They really took this topic of cyberbullying and cyber-safety seriously. They interacted positively and were respectful audiences.

Principal Endorsed Anti-Bullying Prevention Assemblies in Toronto

Parents, please be aware of what your children are doing on line!
This is one of the cyberbullying tips we shared during our ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’ parent workshop at Julliard School today. More than 57 families attended the parent talk about cyber-bullying by teacher/presenter Bruce Langford. Parents learned strategies to quell cyber-bullying and they were enthusiastic with the role-plays presented by their children.

Here is some feedback following the student assemblies:
“The’Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies were excellent! Bruce Langford presented three different programs all geared to our specific grade levels here at Julliard French Immersion School (Toronto). Bruce has a lovely manner with the students and covered many points about bullying prevention using terminology we use here at Julliard. The assemblies were just the right length for our students. We would like to have Bruce back to present his ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies. Our parent evening was also a big success!
Judith Goldberg, Vice-Principal Julliard Public School, Maple Ontario

Students were totally engaged with the Stand Up For Respect assemblies. They were completely focused on the role-plays and videos. They answered questions respectfully, clapped along with the songs and wondered when they would be able to see another presentation by Benny DL. Benny DL is also known as speaker/presenter, Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions.
Julliard Public School is a place where students, teachers and staff have high standards and really care about respect. That was an obvious conclusion based on our one day visit to Julliard Public School.

A tip to build solid friendships in Dufferin Peel Catholic Schools

Tip: You can build more friendships if you are always honest with people. Honesty is a very important part of friendships that is sometimes overlooked. What might seem like the smallest lie can still hurt a friendship in a big way. Even if no one ever finds out about the lie, it is still a lie. It is a dishonest part of you that lives inside you. Start today. Make up your mind to stick to the truth. Be committed to integrity and don’t stray from being completely truthful.
The above friendship and respect tip was included as part of our ‘Stand Up For Respect’ presentations today at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Mississauga  (DPCDSB). We met many students at St. Elizabeth Seton who obviously are committed to being respectful people. Students thought about the many aspects of respect as they watched role-plays and videos about the topic. Teachers and students told us that the ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies helped kids understand how even one person can make a big difference when they make a choice on the side of respect. Just remember, Stand Up For Respect in your daily life and do your best to be honest.
Bruce Langford presents programs on respect, bullying and cybersafety in school boards across Ontario. The ‘Stand Up Now’ website is www.standupnow.ca