Kelso’s Choice conflict management skills program for your school

When we go into schools to do bullying prevention assemblies, I am always happy to see various programs and methods being used to address bullying and to teach conflict resolution. One of the many programs that is effective with children is called ‘Kelso’s Choice’. It is a conflict management skills program which is for elementary school children up to about ten years old. It can increase confidence, reduce tattling and most importantly reduce bullying. Kelso the frog is the central focus and the Kelso’s Choice Wheel with 9 problem-solving solutions is one of the main learning tools. When confronting a “small” problem, students are encouraged to try two choices from “Kelso’s Wheel.” If the “ small” problem persists, they are told that adult intervention is warranted. Visit the Kelso’s Choice website to learn more at www.KelsosChoice.com

 

Cyber-Bullying Got 2 Go Bullying Prevention Assemblies for Schools at www.standupnow.ca

 

 

Burlington School in Halton Region Hosts Stand Up Against Bullying Assemblies

Mrs. Cynthia Bate, Principal of Maplehurst Public School in Burlington Ontario is serious about teaching her students respect and bullying prevention. The students found the Stand Up To Bullying Assemblies engaging and fun. They learned important concepts about how to deal with bullying behaviours.

The Maplehurst School Pledge is a testament to the importance of respect to the students and staff at Maplehurst School.

Maplehurst Pledge

I will show respect for myself and others
I will be responsible for my actions
I will behave in a truthful manner
I will appreciate and accept people’s differences
I will treat others as I wish to be treated
I will work hard to achieve my goals
I will make the right choices even when they are unpopular
I will seek help when someone is in trouble
I have hope for the future
I will seek opportunities for improvement
I will stand up for what is right.

 Stand Up Against Bullying School Assemblies
1-800-901-8831 http://www.standupagainstbullying.com

 

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.

 

 

Is Apple Acting Like a Bully Toward RIM?

This is RIM’s home territory; Waterloo, Ontario Canada. Home of Research In Motion’s Blackberry. But now, Apple has opened its own store in Waterloo, Ontario. Waterloo is one of the smaller Canadian cities playing host to an Apple store.

RIM seems to be having a rough time lately with some poor reviews of the Playbook and reported lower sales. Last month, RIM announced 2,000 job cuts worldwide with some of them being lost inWaterloo. Just this past week Sprint announced it had cancelled plans to include the Playbook on its network. Ouch! And now Apple has opened a store within a quick ten minute drive from RIM head offices. And to make matters worse, more than 200 people lined up to get first crack at the Apple products before the new Apple store actually opened on Saturday morning August 13.

The Apple and RIM Competition - Is It Bullying?

Bullying is an imbalance of power which may involve verbal, physical or social coercion. It is deliberate. It is usually not a one time event.
Does that definition fit with Apple and RIM?

I don’t believe it does apply to Apple and RIM. Bullying applies in a social context when a child begins to shy away from social interaction because of bullying. Bullying happens in the workplace when a staff member begins to feel shunned because a co-worker or boss is using their so-called power to make the staff member feel less valuable.

What do you think? Is Apple acting like a bully?

We offer bullying prevention programs to schools in the region of Waterloo Ontario and have recently visited Laurelwood Public School,Williamsburg School,Brigadoon School, Abraham Erb, Edna Stabler, Sandhills and others.

Maedith Radlein, Principal of N.A. MacEachern Public School inWaterloo commented:
“I would definitely recommend the ‘Stand Up Now’ assemblies. We were most pleased with all three divisions.”

Martha Knowlton, Principal of Abraham Erb Public School inWaterloo said:
“The students and teachers were totally engaged. The assemblies were awesome!”

Whether the bullying is corporate or a result of the children of the employees, call Stand Up Now Productions for presentations to deal head on with bullying behaviours.

www.standupnow dot ca or call 519-269-9837

Camp Counselor Leadership Training for Bullying Prevention

The City of Cambridge is serious about bullying prevention. We spent time yesterday training their summer camp counselors on how to prevent bullying in summer camps. We explained and defined bullying and then talked in detail about the different kinds of bullying. Knowing what to look for is a key factor when you are dealing with children.

We believe that being proactive is vital. That’s why we teach the ‘STAMP’ strategy to be proactive against bullying. This exclusive strategy was created solely by ‘Stand Up Now’ bullying prevention organization and it stands alone as a key teaching approach to prevent bullying in children.

We had the youth participate in role-plays so they could experience first-hand how to quell bullying before it starts. Then we moved on to deal with the actual ways to handle bullying situations head-on. We teach 5 Key Concepts to deal with bullying incidents. The participants are now well-equipped to prevent and deal with bullying situations that may come up in camp situations involving children. Thanks participants – and have a great time at summer camp!
(Bruce Langford is a frequent speaker and trainer in the area of bullying prevention. Contact him by email at info ‘at’ standupnow.ca)

Townsend Community Policing Committee Hosts Bullying Event

A seminar on bullying and elder abuse took place today at the Townsend Community Church in Townsend, Ontario. Guest speaker, Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions began the day with a talk about how we can stop bullying behaviours in our schools and communities. A short question and answer period followed the talk, which included a powerpoint presentation and videos.
Jennifer Schooley, was the second speaker of the day. She is from “Name It 2 Change It”, which is a community bullying prevention initiative sponsored by Haldimand Norfolk R.E.A.C.H. Jennifer’s excellent and informative presentation made it clear that she is passionate about youth and bullying prevention.
Ed Lum, from the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse was the last speaker. His talk was a very thoughtful look at the many aspects of elder abuse including physical, psychological, neglect and financial. His presentation included a detailed look at some specific cases of elder abuse.
Thanks to David Welch and the Townsend Community Policing Committee for hosting an excellent seminar!

5 Bullying Prevention Tips Offered at Lambton-Kent School Assemblies

Bullying, respect and cyber-bullying assemblies were all theme driven assemblies we presented at Gregory Drive Public School in Chatham on Wednesday (Lambton-Kent District School Board – LKDSB). Bruce Langford was also guest speaker at the parent evening session designed for parents and children on internet safety, parenting and bullying. We were impressed with the audience size for a school of under 300 students!

There were 46 adults and children present to see videos, student role-plays and participate in a discussion on the topic of bullying.  

Here are some valuable bullying prevention tips we offered in the various assemblies:

1. Beware of on-line polls where anonymous comments can be posted. Comments can be mean-spirited, hurtful and devastating.
2. Unplug your web-cam when you aren’t using it.
3. If someone is bullying you, speak up in a non-confrontational way.
4. Build a small group of supportive, trustable friends. You can help each other if necessary.
5. Don’t meet people you have met on-line as they may not be the person they said they were. Internet luring has become a big problem.

Principal, Ms. Lynn Sulman administers an impressive school. Her staff and students obviously work together to create an excellent, safe school environment making it an amazing Lambton-Kent school! Kudos to you, Ms. Sulman.

Henderson Avenue School Welcomes Speaker, Bruce Langford

Henderson Avenue Welcome Mural

The welcome mural in the office at Henderson Avenue Public School in Thornhill Ontario, welcomes all nationalities. Henderson Avenue School extends its friendship and goodwill to all people, regardless of their culture or heritage.

Respect is alive and well at Henderson and consistent examples of respectful behaviour are seen on a regular basis throughout the school.

Here is a respect tip I would like to share:
Never let a mean situation go by without doing your part. Here are five possibilities:

1. Speak up and ask the person to stop.
2. Change the subject or redirect the topic to something else.
3. Tell a supportive adult you trust.
4. Talk to a friend about what happened.
5. Share some words of support later with the person who was being picked on.

 

Henderson Avenue Public School, Thornhill Ontario

Today we presented ‘Stand Up For Respect’, ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ at Henderson Avenue Public School. After the assemblies, grade 6 teacher, Ms. Shannon Ostilly commented:

“We were very happy with all three assemblies by Stand Up Now Productions. Thanks so much for coming to Henderson Avenue!”

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!”

York Region Bullying Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week

Poplar Bank Public School students and staff were totally on board with their determination to conquer bullying on Friday. Teacher/Presenter, Bruce Langford offered three different assemblies to the students with videos, songs and role-plays by Poplar Bank’s own students. Vice-Principal Jennifer Diceman expressed her satisfaction with all that she saw and heard in the assemblies.
“Speak up, tell an adult”, one student said when commenting about bullying. Another talked about helping her friend in a bullying situation. “We can all make a difference, if we really try!”, claimed one grade 7 student. Many students were extra pumped because they remembered DJ Benny DL from a previous visit last year when they remembered the ’Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assembly. “Will you sing that same song about passwords again?” one student asked before the show. 

Poplar Bank Bell

We learned a little history about Poplar Bank as well. The original Poplar Bank School was built of logs and was located at Yonge Street and Poplar Bank Sideroad. It was replaced in 1862 and used until 1965.  Poplar Bank

Old Poplar Bank School Building

has some of it’s history on display including the bell from the old school house.
Contact Bruce Langford at ‘Stand Up Now Productions’ 1-800-901-8831 to book assemblies for your school.

Bullying Tips for Kids in Toronto School with DJ Benny DL

Benny DL rocked the house in Toronto today with cool songs and bullying tips for kids as he went on the air live at Lynngate Public School in Toronto (Scarborough). Staff and students gave the ‘Stand Up For Respect’ shows two thumbs up as Bruce Langford (aka Benny DL) gave out prizes, showed videos, and featured role-plays by Lynngate’s own students.
Lynngate really believes in living respect and growing character. That is proven when you meet the children and glance around the halls.

This poem spotted on the wall is only one of the signs of proof:

Watch your thoughts;
they become words.
Watch your words;
they become actions.
Watch your actions;
they become habits.
Watch your habits;
they become character;
Watch your character;
it becomes your destiny.
                      Frank Outlaw

 Lynngate School Principal, Ms. Diane Kriksciunas, remarked that the assemblies were ‘simply excellent’ after watching her students interact with presenter Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions.
Here are three tips to help you deal with bullying in your life:
1. In some cases, ignore the bullying. The bully is often trying to test you to see if you will lose your cool. Don’t lose your cool!
2. Tell a parent, teacher or other adult if you feel you are being bullied. If you get no help, talk to someone else or ask the original person again. Call Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) if you have no one else to talk to.
3. Try to keep acting and looking confident. Don’t let the bullying think he or she is winning.

Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 or by emailing through the website: www.standupnow.ca

Bullying Hurts, Bystanders Can Make a Difference!

That was the message sent out by Bruce Langford at Clark Boulevard Public School in Brampton today. Bruce is DJ Benny DL with radio station ATFM.
Children acted out scenarios where it was clear the bystander could change the series of events. Then ATFM went on the air to talk about it and take callers.

Behavioural Teaching Assistant, Mary Lou Hughes was pleased. “Great follow-up to what we’ve been doing with Kelso’s Choice,” she said.

Kelso's Choice at Clark Blvd School

Principal Jay Suganan was impressed with the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies and felt that the messages fit in well with Clark Boulevard’s School focus.

Clark Blvd School, Brampton

Stand Up Now Back to School Bullying Prevention

Ottawa Stand Up Against Bullying Tour

Welcome back to school everyone! May the 2010-2011 school year be as bully free as possible! We wish you all well as you start back for a new year of learning and dealing with social situations. Stand Up Now is booked solid with bullying prevention programs across the region.
Our Stand Up Now Ottawa tour is planned for October 2010. We will visit schools in Ottawa including St. James Catholic School in Kanata, Guardian Angels Catholic School in Stittsville and St. Anne Catholic School in Kanata. Windsor School visits will include General Brock and Dougall Avenue Public School. Toronto, London, Burlington and Waterloo are only a few of our bullying prevention destinations.
The Stand Up Against Bullying Guy is ready to head off to your school with songs, videos and multimedia to wow the crowds.
Contact us to book assemblies for your school. 1-800-901-8831
Email us at  info@standupnow.ca

Evaluations of Bruce Langford’s Bullying Prevention Programs

Bruce Langford, Bullying Prevention Advocate

Here are some of the most recent comments from Bruce Langford’s Character Education and Anti-Bullying shows.

“Excellent presentations with very relevant information on many different aspects of the internet!”
Carol Hagerman (VP) William G. Davis Senior PS, 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 Senior PS, Cambridge

“Bruce Langford’s presentations have the wow factor. You really captured our students at Derrydown!”
Al Copeti (Teacher) Derrydown School, Toronto

“I really liked the way you tied the show into our Character Education focus here at Copeland. I also liked that you brought music into it!”
Lynn Dirks (Principal) Copeland PS, Brampton

“I would recommend the Stand Up Now performance to any other interested schools. Bruce Langford was fantastic and he delivered dynamic, energetic content which stimulated the interest of our students – even our intermediates!”
Ghada Sadaka (Vice Principal) Brownridge Public School, Thornhill

“Bruce Langford’s Cyberbullying assemblies were fun, interactive and informative. I would recommend this for other schools!”
Rita Santo (Principal) Santa Maria Catholic School, Toronto

“The Stand Up Against Bullying assemblies were really, really good! The role-plays really engaged the audience!”
Frank Thomson, (Occasional Teacher) York Region DSB (Kleinburg & Mt. Albert)

“Our students were completely engaged with the ‘Stand Up Now’ assemblies! Your words resonated with the students, staff and parents. Thank you.”
Rob Samson (Principal) Father F.X. O’Reilly Catholic School, Tottenham

“The assemblies were fantastic. A very engaging way to deliver the message!”
Chris Konrad (VP) Hugh Beaton PS, Windsor

“What a special morning you provided for us! It will be followed up in our classrooms for months to come. This is such a crucial topic for Christian young people to ponder and experience. May the Lord bless your ministry!”
Karen Gerritsma (Principal) Beacon Christian School, St. Catherines

“Bruce Langford’s ‘Respect’ program was well received by the students. His poignant message is one for all ages.”
Jennifer Scudamore (Teacher) Valley Way PS, Niagara Falls

“Our school had the opportunity to participate in Bruce Langford’s presentation about what we can do about bullying and how much it hurts people when they are bullied. The messages really got through to my children!”
Cathy Stewart (Gr 4 Teacher) Brigadoon PS, Kitchener

Book Bruce Langford as a keynote speaker for teachers, parents or children. Phone Stand Up Now at 1-800-901-8831 or email bruce@standupnow.ca

Cyber-Safety/Cyber-Bullying Presentations by Speaker Presenter Bruce Langford (Ontario)

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

Primary Assemblies About Bullying Prevention in Toronto, Ontario

Bullying Prevention at Percy Williams Junior Public School

What does tattling have to do with bullying?

At first glance they seem like totally separate issues. When we take a closer look, we realize that the two behaviors are closely linked.

Tattling is common with many children as the behavior is often a means of exercising power, an attention seeking mechanism or a self-esteem issue. From my experience, tattling behavior tends to slow down by ages 8-10. By the time children reach 12-14, some students will do almost anything to avoid being labeled a snitch.
Whether the tattling is attributed to power, self-esteem issues, or attention-seeking, children need to understand that when someone is in danger, reporting to a responsible adult is an absolute must. Sometimes bullying behaviours are overlooked because children choose not to report.

In ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies, we simplify the concept with practical examples so even young children can understand:
Tattling: Trying to get someone into trouble.
Telling: Trying to get someone out of trouble.

During today’s Bullying Prevention Presentation at Percy Williams Junior Public School in Scarborough (Toronto), we taught this concept with a song called “Telling or Tattling”. Following the assembly, grade two teacher, Elena Cherem commented:
“Bruce Langford’s ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assembly was excellent for my children! My students started using examples about tattling right away after the assembly. It helped them have a clearer understanding of do’s and don’t about bullying.”
Teacher, Jacqueline King was also impressed with the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ programs and will be a reference for Bruce Langford and Stand Up Now Productions.
Contact Bruce at www.bruce-langford.com to arrange student or parent school bullying-prevention presentations. Bruce Langford is a professional bullying prevention speaker and presenter located in Ontario, Canada.

Middle School Assemblies (Ontario) About Bullying & Bystanders

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

Ontario School Speaker/Presenter Words of Encouragement

Mountain of Inspiration

No matter what happens,
We have to keep going, keep positive, somehow.
We’ve got to keep up the fight to Stand Up Against Bullying!
We can do things; we can listen,
We can speak up when we see some of this stuff going on.
We can make sure that we encourage our kids,
Don’t use put-downs; don’t talk about other people in a cruel way.
It’s not acceptable, it’s not ok.
We can all do something to stop the madness,
We can all Stand Up Against Bullying!

We present programs in schools to teach about how to stop the bullying. We use music, videos and role-plays to get the message across loud and clear. We leave follow-up materials for teachers: www.standupnow.ca

Bullying Prevention Assemblies Support Restorative Practices at H.G. Bernard School in York Region

Zera Hameed, Principal of H.G. Bernard School

We presented our Stand Up Now bullying prevention programs recently at H.G. Bernard Public School in Richmond Hill (York Region District School Board).

They have been dealing with bullying and relationships at their school by encouraging restorative practices. The method of restorative practices is characterized by doing things with children, rather than to them or for them. It encourages participation by students in the learning and decision-making process. Restorative practices generally put emphasis on helping to deal with people and relationships in positive ways.

Principal Zera Hameed made the following comment after the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies:
“The (Stand Up Against Bullying) program was very interactive and really fit well with the restorative practices we’re doing here. The teachers loved it, the students loved it, and I’m sure we’ll see the results at school.”
Zera Hameed, Principal, H.G. Bernard Public School, Richmond Hill, Ontario.
(Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 or through the Stand Up Now Productions website at www.standupnow.ca)

5 Best Bus Bullying Tips from the Bullying Guy

Bus in Benny DL's hand

Bullying on the bus can be a real problem. Here are 5 tips to deal with bullying on the bus:
1. Tell somebody you can trust – it might be the bus driver, a teacher, a parent or even a friend on the bus.
2. Find a friend to sit with if you can. Look out for each other. It’s even better if you can get more than one friend on your side.
3. Stay away from the bully if you can. Sit as far away from them as possible.
4. Some bullies are just trying to get attention and feed their ego. Sometimes these people will stop if you just ignore them.
5. Try to be as confident as you can – don’t let the person know they are bugging you. Sometimes just speaking up and talking it out can be the best way to deal with this kind of thing.

We will come to your school to share stuff about bullying & respect in a fun way. Check out www.standupagainstbullying.com and remember: ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ on the bus!