CV Initiates Anti-Bullying Campaign

filled up with children from kindergarten to second grade on Tuesday afternoon, all wearing blue CV Anti-Bullying shirts and paying close attention to that message.

Principal Ron Yasher thanked a group of teachers and parents who comprised a committee to initiate the before handing the microphone over to vice-principal Julie Hopp.

While going over items in the deck, she explained outlined an acrostic that spelled COLTS. The mission is to curb bullying at a young age.

• Choose to cooperate with teachers and classmates

• Obey our bullying promise

• Listen so we can learn

• Treat others with respect

• Stop and think before we act.

Hopp discussed four important rules the school wants children to memorize

“We will never bully others,” she said. “We will help students who are being bullied. We will include students who are left out. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home."

After her presentation, Tim Hartman, an actor and storyteller for the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, entertained the children with a tall tale from Indian folklore which told a tale of a mystical crab, a bullying jaguar and a deceptively clever buzzard. He also related a tale from Japanese legend, which encouraged children to always speak to their elders whenever they are facing a problem they can’t solve.

Hartman was a hit with the kids, doing different voices, making funny faces and relating a powerful message about tolerance.

One of the parents involved with the Anti-Bullying initiative, Teresa Stevenson said she was happy that Chartiers Valley is adopting th program.

“It’s a powerful tool toward [bolstering] the mental health and well being of our future generation,” she said.

Olweus is a Bullying Prevention Program from Norwegian research professor of psychology, Dr. Dan Olweus. The professor is considered a pioneer in bullying research. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program claims it is effective in reducing rates of bullying.

On Friday, October 21, Olweus will take their Anti-Bullying message to the middle school.

School Counselor Dr. Mary Ellen Kerr attended the Anti-Bullying rally with Aunt Bee, her puppet with a beehive hairdo. Aunt Bee promotes a positive message and is part of a campaign “Caught Bee-ing Good,” a positive spin on school behavior.

“I’m very excited about implementing the Olweus program here at the school,” Kerr said.

She looked out at the sea of blue and commented, “I love the t-shirts. They illustrate a strong sense of community, and community is the only way we are going to stop bullying.”

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