Loomis Elementary School template

<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Loomis Elementary School template

Project PRIDE — Communication with Parents

Principal's Pen

The Principal's Pen is published three times per year (November, February, and May) and contains much information about Project PRIDE at Loomis. Current and back issues of The Principal's Pen are available online.

Telling Is NOT Tattling: Empowered Bystanders Make a Positive Difference at Loomis

(Our parent and teacher committee created to develop programs to prevent and respond to bullying behaviors has selected information to share with parents in the Principal’s Pen. This article and the attachments were selected by the parent committee for parent awareness of the terminology and strategies used at school.)

Children need to know that they should tell an adult about bullying behaviors. We have been telling the students at Loomis that they have many ways to tell adults if they are being bullied or if they know that someone else is being bullied. Children are encouraged to meet with their teacher, counselor, or principal. They can and do use the Principal’s Mailbox or the Counselor’s Mailbox to report bullying behavior or to ask for help. Sometimes the mailboxes are used to request help with a misunderstanding or some other concern not just to report bullying.

Throughout the year we discuss the importance of telling an adult if bullying behavior is observed. We encourage our students to be empowered bystanders. They can help others by telling an adult who can help solve the problem. If they do not tell or get help when they know someone is getting hurt then they become part of the problem as well.

We urge you as parents to also discuss the importance of telling with your child. Contact the counselor, your child’s teacher, or me if your child has told you about bullying behaviors.

Barbara Coloroso writes about teaching children the difference in her book The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander. 2003. You may find that her formula is helpful when discussing the difference between tattling and telling.

This is her formula:

Tattling : If it will only get a child in trouble (she is not putting the playground equipment away, he budged in line), it is tattling.

Telling : If it will get you or someone else out of trouble, (or prevent someone from getting hurt or hurting themselves) tell an adult.