Another one of my favorite schools to return to is Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson, NJ. These students are so lucky to have the wonderful Jamie Boccia as a SAC helping them in countless ways throughout every moment of their time as McAuliffe. This group really got into their parts in the program as many of them were used to performing in front of their peers. At McAuliffe, the performances are held in the cafeteria and it is always powerful to me to see how quiet the cafeteria can become when this performance is going on. The performers held the attention of each grade in their school and maintained that focus during their debriefing sessions.

I was so grateful for the opportunity to work with this wonderful group and I know their voices were definitely heard by their classmates. Well done! I hope Beauty and the Beast is just about ready for performance!! Break a leg!

It was my ultimate honor to return to Tenafly Middle School to work with the wonderful RAPPers under the direction of Daryl George. I absolutely love going to this school to work with this dynamic group and this year did not disappoint! From the moment we got working, I knew this group was full of confident and talented students who were going to take their role in this program very seriously. All week we had wonderful discussions about the bullying climate in their school and their reactions to the program when they saw it as 6th graders. It is always amazing to me how much they can remember about the performance.

On the day of the assemblies (three separate performances) there was a horrible accident on George Washington Bridge that kept me delayed in hours of traffic. Luckily, we were able to work the schedule so that all the performances could still be performed for the student body. This cast was extremely professional in both their ability to adapt and in their performances. These performance were FLAWLESS and I loved sitting in the audience and watching this powerful performance presented by talented professionals. The debriefing sessions were highly successful as the RAPPers are used to speaking with their peers about serious topics.

I was so proud of how the program went and cannot wait to return again!

I had the opportunity to work with the wonderful students at both Crossroads North and South in South Brunswick, NJ. It was a first for me – training two separate casts within the same rehearsal time and space. Although a little chaotic and very focused, we were able to come up with performances that were really powerful for everyone. Due to a tragedy in the school, we amended our performance little bit which caused some concern among the performers. Regardless of what was left out of the presentation, the message the kids presented was heard loud and clear from the audience members. Most rewarding to me was the fact that the kids remained focused and driven through a week of ups and downs while bringing everything they had to their performances.

It was an honor to work with these two dynamic groups and I know they made a hue impact on each other and their school community.

A few weeks ago, I returned to the Souderton Area School District to work with the kids at Indian Valley Middle School. Upon meeting this wonderfull group, I knew we were going to have a great time together. They were full of energy from the second I met them and seemed excited to get started. Rehearsals went really well and the kids all found the confidence needed to present such powerful words to their peers. OnFriday, they had three assemblies (one for each grade.) Each performance was better than the next! Since we didn’t have time to go back to classrooms for debriefing sessions, we conducted the debriefing sessions in the auditorium. We tried once breaking them into small groups throughout the space, but I didn’t feel that everyone was having a good opportunity to hear the necessary componants of the debriefing. For the second and third assemblies, we held one large group debriefing session. I led most of the question and answer session while pointing out specific tools the bystanders could use to intervene in a positive way. The comments and stories from the audience we so amazing and powerful giving everyone real insight into what it’s like to be bullied.

Two weeks ago,  a Buffalo, NY teen committed suicide to escape the daily harassment he faced due to his sexual orientation. Jamey Rodemeyer was described a sweet person with a huge heart who bravely tried to inspire others in his situation through the “It Gets Better” campaign. Despite dealing with his own personal torment, Jamey posted a YouTube video telling others dealing with the same problem that it would get better. To be a position such a Jamey’s where you are saying those words out loud, “It gets better,” broadcasting them for the world to hear, but are unable to find that same hope for yourself is unimaginable.

The same taunts that Jamey faced daily – being called “fag” and “girly girl” – tons of other students also face on a daily basis. Jamey had a supportive family and was seeking the help of professional therapists. Until those that harass are held accountable for their actions each time they exhibit those despicable actions, there will be no solace for kids who face that kind of torture. Students who bully must be held accountable. It is easy to say (as I have heard a million times) that those that get bullied should just get tougher. They should just not listen to those people who insult them. Anyone who says that must never have been in a victim’s situation. The way I try to explain it to kids is to think of the one thing that you are most insecure about – your weight, your acne, your height, your family life, your sexuality, your intelligence. Then imagine that everyone else not only noticed your insecurity, but pointed it out to you every second they could. They made you feel worse about it every time you stepped out of your house or logged onto your computer. Our own insecurities are enough to keep us teetering between good and bad self esteem. When the rest of your peer group decides to point out what you think are your biggest flaws to everyone else, the scale quickly tips.

Jamey Rodemeyer was a shining example of someone who tried to inspire in spite of personal struggle.. His death is a tragedy and his message is very powerful. Maybe this will be the time everyone can learn how important it is to treat everyone around you with respect.

In beautiful Pennsylvania, of which I am now a resident, lies Wissahickon Middle School. From the get-go this group had tremendous energy and enthusiasm for the role they had been selected for. Their performance was going to be part of a kick-off for their schools OLWEUS program. It is always great to be part of the OLWEUS kick-off because then I know for sure the school is going to continue to push the message; that the assembly is not the only thing the school is doing to make a statement about bully prevention.

The rehearse process went pretty smoothly for this group even as we lost some students each day to after school sports. They were so responsible they kept up with their memorizing even outside of rehearsal. Friday’s first assembly for the sixth graders was POWERFUL! Audience members were visibly moved by what they saw and heard drawing tears from several viewers. The debriefing sessions were conducted through the advisory program in conjunction with the OLWEUS approach. I was lucky enough to sit in on one and the sixth graders had such powerful things to say. The message got through to them in a big way. I was so proud of what they took out of the program. The slogan for the school this school year is BE THE DIFFERENCE and I could tell each student was trying to figure out just what they could do to make a change.

The second assembly had a location change since rain kept us from heading over to the high school auditorium. The performers handled the change like pros and made the most of the new location. Overall, I was impressed by this group and their ability to deliver. I was also impressed with the whole day – the school had really gone above and beyond to try and get their students to realize how seriously they are taking this issue. It was refreshing to see!

Wissahickon cast- you were amazing! I had a great time with you and hope you always remember how it felt to go out of your comfort zone to make a positive impact in someone’s life. Try to recreate that feeling as often as possible!

*Picture to come*

To start of the 2011-2012 school year, I returned to familiar territory – Monroe Twp.! This year, the middle school had moved into the old high school, so I was super excited to have the use of their beautiful theater. The group was wonderful from the start with a few younger siblings of my former students. It is always nice to reconnect to where everything started. The group worked really well together and kept focused on the task. By Thursday, I could not believe how great they sounded! What an amazing cast!

This week, I was also asked to speak to the sixth and eighth graders separately as the assembly was only for seventh graders. We had a lot of outstanding communication in those small assemblies. The eighth graders, having seen the program the year prior, had a lot of insight as to the effectiveness of the performance. We discussed their continued role as a bystander and to effectively take positive action. We spent a great deal of time discussing the individual stories of the kids in the powerpoint. A lot of times, audience members see the pictures of the kids who have committed bullycide and think that they bully they endured must have been so much worse than the bullying in their school. They are wrong – that is wishful thinking. Those kids who took their lived endured the same types of bullying as they see everyday. What the kids don’t understand is that you never know how one individual is going to handle being bullied or how much they have to endure on a daily basis. The same types of bullying go on everywhere – it is bad at every school. The kids need to get that through their heads and stop living in denial.

The Friday performance was incredible! My friend and former co-worker and I were so proud of this particular group because they really put everything into this performance. The audience was silent – the seventh graders stunned. The debriefing sessions that followed really opened up the discussion in a positive way. I was so proud of this group and hope they continue to use the momentum they built during that powerful day to be the positive change in their school.

Rounding out my school year was a stop at Haddonfield Middle School in South Jersey. I had been to Haddonfield three years ago and was so excited to return.  The kids in the group were excited and energetic when I met them which made me all the more excited to get to work. We had an outstanding rehearsal period as this group was comprised of seasoned performers. What was exciting to me was watching them explore their characters and add depth to their lines each time they said them aloud. We had one performance for both the sixth and seventh grade which was outstanding. The students delivered their lines with passion and power rendering the audience highly attentive. The debriefing sessions that followed were really excellent. The two that I stopped in posed some great questions and really seemed to get the message of the program. Several kids told me how shocked they were by what they saw and how they never realized how much of an impact they personally could make. Music to my ears!

Liam, Patrick, Amy, Matt, Arpie, Dana, Dan, Allison, Zoe, Lily, Drew, Frankie, Anna, Chris, and Claire…you guys were an excellent way to finish up the 2010-2011 school year. I was thoroughly impressed by your delivery of the lines and the poise you possessed in your debriefing sessions. I felt like we had a great opportunity to discuss your individual situations and the reactions you have to the bullying around you. Remember what I said about using your self-assuredness to help those in your school who may be much less confident in who they are. You have the opportunity to continue to make a huge impact on your school and the world around you by always doing what is right and what is positive. I hope to see you all on Broadway!

I just read this article about the increading movement to provide training and awareness to the bystanders regarding, in this article’s case, violence prevention. If there was a larger press to educated the bystanders as to the tools and choices they have when faced with an incident of violence and/or bullying, the bystanders would be better equipped to make a positive change in their environment.

http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-human-condition/2009/10/30/bystanders-no-more-teaching-kids-to-respond-to-violent-crime.html

Today I went back to Grover Middle School to begin compiling a promotional DVD to send to schools interested in the Bystander program. Not only was it great to see them all, but they did an amazing job remembering and reciting their lines. I cannot wait to begin work on the DVD!