From: Sherryl Clark <sherrylc1>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:59:04 +1100

>
>There are a lot of bullying programs that don't work because bullying
>isn't being consistently addressed from classroom to classroom, in the
>school bathrooms and hallways, on the playgrounds and on the buses.
>Reducing aggression in schools requires a systematic, comprehensive
>approach which includes setting clear standards for acceptable behavior,
>implementing consistent consequences for actions that are likely to hurt
>others, and providing education about bullying to every student.


You might be interested to hear about John Marsden's school, Candlebark, here in Australia (near Melbourne). Marsden is a very popular children's and YA author, former teacher, who has started a new school on his property.

In a recent documentary on the school, he said that the school policy for the students was that no one was allowed to exclude anyone from games or play - the kids are of a wide range of ages, and this means that even little kids can join in big kids' games. His intention was quite clear - that he would eradicate any bullying by setting these as firm policies, school-wide. I believe it's working well.

Sherryl Clark


Sherryl's website is at http://www.sherrylclark.com/ -- her blog is at http://www.sherrylclark.blogspot.com/ Check out her new site at http://www.poetry4kids.net - it's all about poetry for kids! Tracey Binns is Trouble - new - out May 2008!
Received on Tue 18 Mar 2008 03:59:04 PM CDT