NIOS: Talking to Your Kids About Newtown

Slate: "Productive" Response to Kansas Hate Group

When the Westboro Baptist Church hate group announced that it would picket the funerals of the Newtown, CT shooting victims, many people were filled with outrage. In response, the cyberhacking group Anonymous hacked the website and Twitter pages of the WBC in a form of revenge. Slate writer Will Oremus states that there have been more productive responses to the Westboro Baptist Church, particularly the pro-tolerance counter protest of Gunn High School. This counter protest was effective because it worked to empower the students and strengthen the school’s values of acceptance and tolerance. Slate also featured our video, “Gunn High School Sings Away Hate Group,” below.   

Talking to Your Kids About Newtown

Common Sense Media provides helpful resources for parents in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy that took place on Dec. 14. They advise parents to discuss the tragedy with their older children and teens to protect them from misinformation from the internet and media. They recommend that younger children under the age of 7 be kept away from the news and upsetting pictures in order to prevent emotional distress. For children of all ages, it is important to reassure them that they are safe. 
 

Re-Imagining the Christmas Concert with Peace and Friendship Awareness

A Mansfield, MA elementary school is replacing its annual Christmas Concert with a program to address bullying and promote acceptance and friendship. The program will be held during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in January, according to a school superintendent, because “he was all about peace.” Although the children’s parents are excited about the program, there has been some tension in the community, since the Christmas concert is a longstanding tradition. At Not in Our School, we commend the school for focusing on an anti-bullying initiative and promoting peace during a difficult time in the United States. We also appreciate that the school is culturally sensitive by recognizing that not all cultures and religions celebrate Christmas.