keeping up

Are you keeping up with our twitter and facebook posts? there’s a twitter box in the right column on the blog >>>>>>>>>.
(@beSomebody_us)
We live-tweeted the event Coalition members For Our Youth were at last night. It has cool pictures.

Tons of families were at the Spalding School Carnival and Sarah and Heidi got to talk to so many of them. They borrowed an activity from Coalition partner CSADV where kids spin a wheel and get to answer a question about being friends, or how to react to bullying. Then they got a lollypop. SWEET!

There was a long line at the table for most of the night, and we were able to talk to parents as they stood in line with their kids. We handed out our parent-connection cards (ALL of them), which were printed in English and Spanish. It gave us a chance to talk about the great work For Our Youth does, tell people that the BPCC is a resource, and to keep people aware of what the kids are learning in school through the anti-bullying programs and curriculum.

A huge thank you to Spalding Elementary for inviting For Our Youth, and a huge shout out to Sarah and Heidi, and their families and friends, for stepping up to beSomebody, being a presence in the community.

Information and Involvement

Are you doing your part keeping yourself informed about what’s going on in the community?  One of the best ways to find out about opportunities for your kids, or for yourself to be active and engaged with the cool and important things your neighbors are doing is to read newsletters.

Most organizations have newsletters that they are more than happy to send you.

A great example is the School newsletter.  This month’s letter from the Sioux City schools not only features great news about STEM initiatives and honors some of the students have been awarded, but it also has a portion of the District policy on hazing, harassment, and bullying.

Included in the mini-article about hazing and bullying is a statement on non-discrimination and equal opportunities for participation in programs.

Is it weird to pair these ideas, of bullying, harassment, and hazing, with equal access for all?  No, it’s not.  This is important stuff.  It often goes unsaid, under the radar, easily ignored, but a major part of “peer abuse” as bullying, etc. is often called, is creating the idea that only certain people are ‘worthy,’ or that you have to withstand humiliation to prove your worthiness. Neither of those concepts is acceptable in a culture that wants to cultivate achievement.

After all, the best part of education and community engagement is experiencing new things and discovering new ideas, passions, and talents. We all learn more when there is a greater diversity in who is participating.

So do your part in finding out what’s going on around you, taking part in it, and inviting others to join as well. It’s a great way to beSomebody.

Siouxlan Pledge of Non-Violence

We at the Coalition cannot take credit for this, we did not write it.  But as I understand it, a group of community leaders developed this years ago – there are copies floating around various area agencies. I thought it was a great thing to bring back into the light and hopefully get people talking about it again.  It is also posted on the Siouxland CARES website in their February 2013 Newsletter, which is actually where I sourced this from.

SIOUXLAND PLEDGE OF NONVIOLENCE

Making peace must start within ourselves, our families, our homes, and in our community.  Each of us commits ourselves as best w can to become non-violent and peaceful people:

To Respect Myself: To care for myself physically, emotionally, and mentally; to take responsibility for myself; and to resist negative peer pressure and self-destructive behaviors.

To Respect Others:  To affirm others and to respect diversity among people and to avoid uncaring criticism, hateful words, physical attacks, and self-destructive behavior.

To Communicate Better: To share my feelings honestly, to look for safe ways to express my anger and other emotions, and to work at solving problems peacefully.

To Listen: To listen carefully to others, especially those who disagree with me and to consider others; feelings and needs rather than insist on having my own way.

To Forgive: To apologize and make amends when I have hurt another, to forgive others, and to keep from holding grudges.

To Respect the Environment: To treat the environment and all living things with respect and to use resources carefully.

To Play Creatively: To select entertainment and toys that support nonviolent values and to avoid entertainment that makes violence look exciting, funny, or acceptable.

To Be Courageous: To challenge violence in all its forms whenever I encounter it, whether at home, at school, at work, or in the community, and to stand with others who are treated unfairly.

This is our pledge.

“Eliminating violence one person at a time, starting with ourselves.”

Tuesday News

It’s only Tuesday and we’ve already had a great week.

Last night some of the members of the Coalition had the opportunity to visit the PFLAG group. The best part was that there were young people – students from high schools and colleges and some of their mentors- at the meeting. Although we had been invited to present on who we are and what we have been doing, we learned so much more by meeting these motivated young people and hearing about their experiences. They talked about ways they had found support and built ‘coalitions’ of their own.

Looking forward to joining forces and seeing what a difference we can make together. It’s all about connecting with each other, right?

Then we had a morning with more young people; from Morningside College. Can’t wait to hear their ideas on how to get the message out! . . . .And listen to M’side’s radio station KMSC (92.9 FM in Sioux City) to see if you hear For Our Youth’s Anthem, “Free,” by Freddy Jackson.

One lesson from today: The more we talk about the issues, the more people find ways they can make a difference just by doing what they’re already doing.
#stopbullying #YouMatter #beSomebody!

Song List

Music is a part of us because everyone has music they love. It creates memories, helps us get in a better mood, motivates us, connects us to each other. Whether we’re humming to something in our head, performing it for others, or listening to someone else’s song, music will always move us.

What songs do you listen to when you need to feel better?
What songs inspire you to smile, to reach out to others?
What songs remind you that you are not alone?

For Our Youth, Coalition members, has posted their Anthem on their Facebook page. It’s a song to remind people they are not alone. There’s a link on the previous post on somebodysite – go ahead and connect; but don’t forget to come back to this post and make some comments.
Here’s a short list of songs that remind me of coming through tough times. Maybe you’re not having a hard time right now, but have a song that reminds you to reach out – be an upstander- to someone who is.

Song list:
Freddie Jackson: Free
Lady GaGa: Born This Way
Christina Aguilera: Beautiful
REM: Everybody Hurts
Pretenders: I’ll Stand By You
Pink: F’n perfect
Matt Kearney: Undeniable

Post your song ideas in our comment section!

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For Our Youth Anthem: Link, Like, & Spread the word

For Our Youth Anthem
This is a link to the Facebook page for For Our Youth. It should take you to the video for their anthem, “Free,” by Freddy Jackson. He wrote the song for FOY when he heard about the suicides in the Siouxland Area and what FOY was doing to support families having bullying problems on a grass roots level – in homes, coffee houses, health fairs, anywhere they can reach their neighbors. Please link, like, and spread the word.

Coming together again

The Bully Prevention Community Coalition had a great meeting this week! We had representatives from CSADV, the Faith community, Siouxland CARES, Teen Court, For Our Youth, top administrators from the Sioux City schools, and parent/community members. Talk about bringing people together to gather and disperse ideas and info!

We settled some old business from last year, and looked at our many accomplishments.

Even more exciting, though, was taking a look forward at the work we can continue to accomplish.  Before the break we set goals of focusing on student to student mentoring, and making sure that the Middle Schools were getting the attention they truly need. So many of the strategies and projects we discussed do just that.  Some are already in the works!

The Coalition also brainstormed new relationships we can nurture to spread the message that we can all beSOMEBODY!

Thank you for following Bully Prevention Community Coalition and our somebodysite.  Don’t forget to find us on Facebook, and follow @beSomebody_us.

Pictures, pledges, and posters

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So these are a little late, but they are fun photos of when the Coalition participated in the Red Ribbon Week kick-off events. At family night, put on by Siouxland CARES, with other partners like the Elks Club, we shared a table with Coalition partners For Our Youth and CSADV.

Together, we collected 163 pledges to be kind and not bully. We also had a spin-the-wheel game where kids answered questions about making safe, healthy choices.

If you visited us that day and made the pledge, you got a beSOMEBODY bracelet.

Later in the month, members of the Coalition visited a local elementary school to be judges in their ‘drug & bully free’ poster contest.  The students came out to talk to us about their work and what it meant to them.

A note from Aubrey

‘Hello my name is Aubrey, a 4th grader. I don’t really see bullying at my school, but I see teasing sometimes. My teacher teaches us 2nd step in school. When it comes to situations like bullying, stop it! I don’t really see it, so I’m trying to find sad kids and ask them some questions about why they’re sad. I would give the kid a tissue. Tomorrow is Friday. I’m going to try to be kind as ever to the kids that need it. So, that’s all, but try to get kids to be nicer to other kids when they are sad. Well, bye!’

Thanks Aubrey!

srk

Sayings from the Summit

On November 27 members of the Coalition were able to attend the Iowa Governor’s Summit on Bullying. Students who made the winning beSomebody YouTube videos from each school were invited to come with us. We were sponsored and supported by many people: Mayor’s Youth Commission enabled us to charter a bus, Sandy and Carmen bought us food and drink, and Linda organized it all.  A big ‘Thanks!’ to all of them.

We learned a lot, and even got a mention from Dr. Paul Gausman, Superintendent of Sioux City Schools, and keynote speaker at the Summit.

These are just some of the sayings and ideas that we came away with from the Summit.  They are incredible! (apologies for not being able to credit each quote. None of them are directly from us, these are all things we heard others say in their presentations.)

“Bullies back down when others stand up.”

“Our dignity is non-negotiable.”

“I am I, you are thou” Martin Buber; In bullying “I am I, you are it.”

“Words must pass through 3 gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is a lie.

Changing the culture: Things that are mean are not funny.

Our schools mirror our community.

“Children who create do not destroy.”

“You resolve conflict.  You stop bullying.”

 

–Thanks for joining with us in our conversation about bullying and abuse in our communities.

srk