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PLEASANT GROVE -- Approximately 30 students from Pleasant Grove High School’s “Be the Change” Club visited the fifth grade classes at Manila Elementary March 18 and presented a 50-minute “Stop Bullying Campaign.”
In December, “Be the Change” decided it wanted to tackle this large undertaking to help eliminate bullying in our community. “Be the Change” identified fifth grade as the time when bullying takes root and began brainstorming how they could help with this problem. It decided to implement the national “Stop Bullying Now” program. Students held weekly meetings and spent countless hours planning skits and role-plays and formulating healthy ways to deal with bullies.
“No one can learn if they don’t feel safe," said club advisor Ruth Stanton McAtee. "Schools can be scary because we are being evaluated, but you add in the bullying element and nobody can learn. If big kids can make little kids feel safe, that will change the world. Bullying is a real problem, but there are real solutions.
National studies prove that almost every child will be bullied at one point in their life. This is a real issue that children face. In fact, President Barack Obama has declared bullying as a major national health crisis and admitted that in his childhood he was bullied.
Bullying is a real problem, but there are real solutions.
–Ruth Stanton McAtee
After months of preparation, “Be the Change” entered Manila Elementary armed with banners, wristbands and crisis cards with phone numbers students can call when facing bullies.
These 30 high school students acted as mentors taking the time to listen as elementary students expressed their concerns about bullying and provided helpful feedback on how to deal with these situations.
When the fifth-graders were asked if they had experienced bullying, nearly every child immediately raised their hand. They shared their experiences with bullying including being pushed in the hallways, being told they are fat, and being told they couldn’t play in games at recess. One child even said another student had beaten him up during recess and that for months he was scared to attend school.
Related:
Obama to bullying victims: I know what it's like
Pres. Obama said his large ears and funny name once made him a target of school-yard harassment.“Be the Change” made a difference in the community by helping students understand that they weren’t alone and that bullying is a problem that almost everybody deals with.
“I was really proud of the students. I felt like we had accomplished our objective and that we would have a lasting impact on the students who attended,” said assistant club advisor Miriam Robertson.
“Be the Change” Club hopes that this anti-bullying campaign is only the beginning. They hope to reach out to schools across the state.
“My goal, my dream is that other schools learn of us and that when we offer to do this, they will accept,” McAtee said.
Next year, they hope to build on the success they achieved at Manila and present two “Stop Bullying Now” campaigns to multiple schools each year. Ideally, they would present their program at the beginning of the year and a refresher presentation near the end of the school year.
Anybody who is interested in having Pleasant Grove High School present a “Stop Bullying Now” campaign to their local fifth-graders should contact McAtee at stan754@alpine.k12.ut.us.
Danica Baird is the Editor-in-Chief of the Plesant Grove High School paper, The Viking Crier, and writes for The Timpanogas Times.
