Schools
Anti-Bully Campaign Hits Home
Students get a lesson in the perils of bullying and how to prevent and cope with it.
Chants of no bullying, no gossiping and being good witnesses were sounding through the Temecula Elementary School auditorium today.
The assembly, which was put on to reduce bullying, was the brainchild of performer and educator John Abrams, a self proclaimed School Assembly Bully Specialist.
“I created the bully game six years ago when I saw there was a need to bring awareness to bullying in schools,” Abrahms explained.
Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
He said he conducted a great deal of research on bullying when developing and writing the program.
“It’s no secret that bullying exists in schools and this program is designed to get kids to start thinking about it,” he said. “I want to make a difference.”
Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The action packed and interactive performance promises to dramatically reduce bullying and improve the overall school experience in one hour or less, he said.
Children sat in the audience as Abrahms used props and a mock game show to get the kids talking and thinking about solutions to bullying and the harm it can do.
“Repeat after me, no more taunting, no more gossiping and be a good witness,” was repeated as the game-show contestants won "bully prevention points" for the right answers.
The assembly comes only a few months after parents packed the school district's board room during a meeting to demand officials do something about an alleged bullying problem at Rancho Elementary.
Some even asked for a principal, Pam May, to be fired. To see a video of the event, .
One kindergartner said she really liked the assembly and had lots of fun.
“I don’t want to be a bully,” Mikayla Brounlow said as she walked in a single file line back to her class.
The assembly was formed when PTA member Dana Strebig was looking for a way to bring awareness and educate the students about bullying.
“I happened to come across an old flier for John’s bully prevention assembly in a book around the time I was looking for this type of event,” Strebig explained. “The reviews from other schools were all glowing, so we made arrangements to get him here.”
UPDATE: Details about the push to curb bullying were added on Aug. 21 at 12:21 a.m.
