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*