In addition to our films and resources, Not In Our School wants to share with you the inspiring practices of teachers and administrators who are bringing the anti-bullying mission to their classrooms and campuses. Today we spotlight the work of Abbott Middle School in San Mateo, CA.
Abbott Middle School has created a Campus Climate Committee with a range of exciting and interactive activities. As part of this work, Abbott teachers have also made a “promise” to support their students.
The Campus Climate Committee (CCC) includes students, parents, and teachers. The students developed activities to address areas of concern such as rumors, the isolation of bullied students, and being an upstander. The committee worked to promote awareness among students and staff on the problems that occur when bullying is left unchecked, and how to proactively engage in intervening.
Abbott teacher Jordan Sher shares their journey with us, walking us through recommended activities and a teacher promise that other schools can use and adapt. Read Sher's piece, "Creating a Campus Climate Committee" on NotInOurSchool.org.
not in our school
By Rachel EzrolLeaving home for Emory University, I expected to satisfy my pre-med requirements, study for the MCAT, apply to med school, and begin this cookie-cutter process once again as an admitted medical student four years later.
By Becki Cohn-Vargas, Not In Our School Director
It is one thing to read the statistic that half of hate crimes in the United States are committed by teens. It is totally different when teens commit a heinous hate crime right in your community. When 17 year-old Gwen Arajo was murdered by local teens in 2002, her last word "Please don't, I have a family," didn't stop the teenagers from beating and strangling her to death.
“Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.”
This quote from Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham Jail reminds us that we ALL need to be involved in the search for justice.
By Matthew Tullis, Project Director for Safe Schools/Healthy Students in Marshalltown, IA
Originally published by the Iowa Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
The city of Marshalltown understands the importance of collaboration. For years the community and its school district have risen to embrace challenges and work together. In the spring of 2012, Mike Schlesinger, Publisher and General Manager of Marshalltown Newspaper, LLC, gathered key community leaders together to address the issue of bullying and hate. Based on a common concern about tragic consequences resulting from bullying that have been reported in Iowa and across the nation, Marshalltown decided immediately to be proactive and spread a common message that this type of behavior is not acceptable in our town.
In this piece from MTV's A Thin Line blog, Liz Stark talks about the Not In Our School model.
Ever since we were little, we have listened to lessons about kindness and respect. Treat people the way you wish to be treated. The Golden Rule. I have always thought that the “Golden Rule” got its nickname because chemical gold is an inert metal; in a sense, it never rusts and never fades. The Golden Rule isunyielding and timeless; a universal truth.
Not In Our School began Bullying Prevention Month with the powerful PSA, “Break Bullying” to stress the serious impact of bullying. We end the month with a focus on SOLUTIONS!
Krista King is the co-adviser with Kurt Dearie of Carlsbad High School's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) in Carlsbad, CA. Last February, King and Dearie went to the Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership conference and were inspired by the Not in Our School presentation. In the session, they watched and discussed the video titled, "What Do You Say to That's So Gay?"
Back at Carlsbad High, King teaches Graphic Design and Photography. One of the Visual Arts California Content Standards for California high school students is to design a campaign. She put a lot of thought into how to approach this project, asking around to others for their ideas. From there, they began brainstorming. They wanted to create a campaign that the whole school would want to take part in.
King loved the idea of making posters. She played the "What Do You Say to That's So Gay?" video in her classes and they discussed the way a campaign around this topic could impact their school in a positive way.
By Becki Cohn-Vargas, Not In Our School Director
All of us have experienced cruel behavior, either as a participant, victim or witness. The Not In Our School “Break Bullying”public service announcement, donated by the MAKE ad agency, appears to bring back those bad memories. The announcement depicts adults in a professional environment re-enacting the personal middle school bullying experience of the director, Mike Nelson. His point: If we would not stand for this at work, why do we stand for it happening to kids in schools? The purpose of the PSA is to make us want to do something—to intervene, unlike the co-workers who watch their colleague pushed to the floor.
Bully Project: Not In Our School Launched in the Philippines
They call themselves “a community of ex-bystanders in the Philippines who have made the decision to take a stand.” This month, they launched a combined Bully Project and Not in Our School campaign to raise awareness about the issue of bullying in the Philippines. By joining the campaign, each individual makes a promise: “I will not be a bully, I will help the bullied, and I will speak up about bullying.” They have over 537 likes on Facebook so far! You can check out their Facebook fan page here.
Not In Our School "Put Yourself On The Map" Contest!
Enter below to win the raffle. Receive a Weatherproof NIOS Anti-bullying Banner with your school name on it!You are just steps away from affecting change in your school and community, and receiving an Amazon Gift Card! We’ve made the process simpler. It takes just 2 minutes to enter!
Not In Our School (NIOS) is calling on educators, students, and community members to enter the NIOS Put Yourself on the Map Contest! The NIOS Map highlights where groups are taking action to say “Not In Our School” as a response to bullying. NIOS wants to reach even more young people and fill the map with groups from every state in the country!
Eligibility
Put Yourself on the Map is open to K-12 educators, students and community organizers working to create welcoming communities, prevent bullying and end discrimination.
How Can I Enter? There are three ways you can enter the Put Yourself on the Map Contest! All you have to do is fill out a short form and your name will be entered into the raffle.