Our Monthly Theme: Having COURAGE to Recognize when help is needed
This month we are focusing on how having courage helps us live our best life.
We need courage to make responsible decisions to live our lives drug free. This was our message from Red Ribbon Week.
Our fourth graders are learning about how to stand up for someone who is being bullied.
There is a big difference between tattling on someone and reporting bullying. We discourage tattling because it usually isn’t helpful and it’s motivation is to get someone into trouble. Reporting bullying is done to help someone who is in a very hurtful situation. If people don’t do anything when they see bullying happen, they tend to feel badly about themselves or powerless in the situation. Even if we are not the bully or the victim, bullying affects everyone who sees it. By doing nothing and walking away, you are being hurtful to the victim who needs help.
Many people use the bullying term incorrectly. First we need to recognize when bullying is happening. Bullying is happening if these three things are going on in a conflict:
Some is being mean to someone else on purpose
It is happening over and over again or it is repeated
There is an imbalance of power or the situation is one sided
If these three elements are present in a conflict, students are taught it is bullying and they have a responsibility to do something to help it stop. We know responsibility means to do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
If someone sees something unsafe happening, they need to summon the courage to say something to help it stop. It is sometimes unsafe to address the bully but students can always report to a trusted adult.
Here are some things we are learning about to Help Stop Bullying.
Next week we will share other ways to be a COURAGEOUS supportive bystander.
**When it comes to anything unsafe: Have COURAGE. If you SEE something, SAY something.