Earth Day reminds us to consider what matters around us

Be willing to speak up in support of maintaining nature’s systems that make our earth so magnificent.  Treat the earth with consideration.
Do your part every day to make the earth a better place.

EARTH DAY is a day to consider the gift our earth gives us
including clean air to breathe and fresh water to enjoy.

We must preserve these gifts by all working together to maintain the natural resources the earth provides.

We must also work together to keep our relationships on track and
to maintain feelings of appreciation and thoughtfulness. Speak up when
something needs to be said. See a little of yourself in others and you will be
more understanding and sensitive to their needs. Doing these things will help to
keep your relationships filled with respect. Bit by bit the concept of bullying will become even more abhorrent than it already is. Beat bullying by building respect and living it everyday just as we celebrate Earth Day by showing respect to our planet.

Bruce Langford, bullying prevention advocate www.brucelangford.ca

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a vow to Stand Up Against Bullying

St. Patrick’s Day 2012 is upon us so I decided to google Irish Bullying tips.
What I learned was shocking.
25 per cent of Irish students in Irish secondary schools are bullied according to the website bully4u dot ie. One in four or 175,000 youth in Irish high schools are victims of bullying. The website states: “the evolution of modern communication technologies combined with the increasing integration of our multicultural society has led to such new dynamics as cyberbullying and racist bullying in addition to the more traditional forms.”

The site goes on to encourage adult intervention in bullying incidents. It tells us that it is important for adults to let students know that aggressive behaviour is inappropriate. “Whether you are a bystander, parent or schoolteacher, there are steps you can take to ensure that children are kept safe and that their dignity is respected.”

As we celebrate St. Patrick’s day around the world, make a vow to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and make a difference by empowering yourself and others to act against bullying behaviour.

Bruce Langford is an international speaker and anti-bullying advocate
www.BruceLangford.ca   www.StandUpAgainstBullying.com

 

 

 

Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander



Garden Avenue Junior School, Toronto

Garden Avenue Public School, Toronto is a respectful school filled with great kids who understand the meaning of community. These students look out for each other and encourage each other. They understand the importance of speaking up. They know a bystander is a person who sees or hears mean things, but does nothing about it. Don’t be a bystander, do something if you see meanness. Talk to the person later, tell a teacher or encourage your friends to do the right thing.

 

The majority of Garden Avenue Junior School students know to …

Be an Upstander, not a bystander!

A story from an anonomous contributor: 

It happened nearly twenty years ago.

I saw him do it. I witnessed it with my own eyes.

He knew I saw him, but then afterwards, I swore I saw nothing.

I was afraid. I thought I should keep quiet. I thought that would support my friend.

 

I was wrong.

Living a lie is never the right thing to do.

I could have quietly gone to a trusted adult and reported what I saw.

It would have been the right thing to do. It would have been the responsible, respectable thing to do.

 

We shared a story with the Garden Avenue students today. The story was about a girl who felt terrible about someone she had bullied at a past school. She decided to do something about it. She decided to share her message with the world, about how awful a person can feel who has actually bullied someone.

Garden Avenue students obviously felt empathy for the girl as we shared the story.

Be caring. Be sensitive. Be empathetic. Be an upstander, not a bystander!

Stand Up Against Bullying, whenever you can.

Garden Avenue Junior Public School Principal, Ms. Martha Peterson constantly encourages her students to show respect, make the right choices, and be ‘upstanding’ citizens. Be inspired by Garden Avenue; be an upstander!

 

 

 

Toronto Middle School Welcomes Cyberbullying Guest Speaker, Bruce Langford at their Annual Safe And Caring Schools Student Conference

Willowdale Middle School in Toronto featured their Annual Safe and Caring Schools Student Conference today. Bruce Langford started the day by presenting a session to grade 6 and 7 students called ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’. The presentation was about how to stand up against cyberbullying. The Children’s Peace Theatre presented a hands-on workshop at the same time with grade 8 students. Willowdale Middle School students did a skit about how some kids feel pressured to have lots and lots of ‘friends’ on social network sites like Facebook. The girl in the skit told her friend to ‘just add random people so you don’t look like a loser’. She did decide to add someone she didn’t know, and was taking the risk that it could turn out to be an internet predator. In another skit, the police got involved when someone turned out to be posing as someone else online. Students were tuned in to the role-plays and commented about their effectiveness.

Willowdale Principal, Mrs. Angela Caccamo said: “Bruce Langford’s Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies were excellent. I will spread the word to my colleagues.”

The point was made that every middle school student can do something to make sure that cyberbullying does not exist and grow in a school environment. We can all agree; Cyberbullying’s Got 2 Go! Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 (www.atfm.ca) for more information.

How friends can reduce cyber-bullying at Howard Public School, Toronto

Students at Howard Public School in Toronto have their own ideas about how to stand up against bullying. They believe that their friends can help them and that people should stand by their friends. We talked about ways that people can support each other and how you sometimes need to talk with a teacher, a parent or another trusted adult. We saw a role-play about how bystanders can help. We talked about a video that encouraged empathy.

Howard Public School Outdoor Mosaic Mural

Principal, Mrs. Rosanna Sardella spoke highly of our ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies and said she would encourage other schools to host the assemblies.
Bruce Langford’s school assemblies are available for students from kindergarten to grade 8. www.standupagainstbullying.com

Remember, friends can stand up for each other. That can help reduce bullying!