Category Archives: School Bullying

Determination, self-confidence and courage can stamp out bullying in U.S. Virgin Islands

Use determination and courage to stamp out bullying. Confidence and willpower can be strong forces when dealing with cruelty and the students here in the U.S. Virgin Islands know how to use their confidence to their advantage. It is important to be strong and stand up against meanness. Students must be willing to lead by example and show others they won’t put up with bullying. It is imperative for teachers to be on-board and to be willing to take a stand against bullying as well. We can all make a difference by using our inner strength and self-confidence to our advantage. Always keep your safety in the forefront of your mind. Your safety should be your first concern.
The students at Prophecy Academy in the United States Virgin Islands understand that their level of confidence can have a direct impact on the amount of bullying that takes place. We must all be strong and willing to help each other in our universal community. Just watch the video below, and you will see strong minded, confident youth who believe in themselves and are empowered by God to make a difference.
Just remember; Stand Up Against Bullying and take a stand!

School workshops, seminars and keynote talks by Bruce Langford, the Stand Up Against Bullying Guy www.standupagainstbullying.com

Anti-Bullying Pledge created by Fifth & Sixth Graders at Youth Summit US Virgin Islands 2012

1 Comment

I pledge to stop bullying and not be a bystander.
I will lend a helping hand to others to help keep our communities safe.

Pledge against bullying Virgin Islands K-6 Grade

Public Schools Pledge to stop bullying U.S. Virgin Islands K-6

Today we went to the U.S. Virgin Islands Youth Summet at SugarBay Resort and Spa. There were about 300 5^th and 6^th graders. We are all from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education Schools.

We watched BennyDL go live on ATFM radio broadcasting directly from SugarBay Resort. He talked to callers, sang songs and talked about bullying prevention. BennyDL is a DJ but his real name is Bruce Langford.

Later we watched videos & talked about the issues related to bullying.
We got into groups with students from other schools. Some of us made up poems and songs about bullying and what to do. Some of us made up role-plays and skits about bullying. Some groups presented to everyone.

We put our ideas together into one pledge we believed in. The pledge we came up with is simple:
I pledge to stop bullying and not be a bystander.
I will lend a helping hand to others to help keep our communities safe.

Here is some of our work:
Bullies are Bad
Bullies are bad,
They make people mad
Bullies are mean
They make my hair green
They never are seen
Since these are a team
Bullies are bad!!!

Bruce Langford – Programs to deal with bullying www.StandUpAgainstBullying.com

Advice: Grow self-confidence and learn how to avoid bullying

Leave a comment

Bullying can often be prevented by having a well developed level of self-confidence. In fact, studies have led people to believe that confidence is the single most important quality to help you avoid being bullied. However, there is a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance. People who are arrogant and cocky tend to be that way in one area of their lives and when they move into a different environment, they no longer have the ability to appear confident. Doubt yourself for a second, and people will be able to pick up on that momentary self-doubt.
Make up your mind to learn as much as you can about self-confidence and how to achieve it. You will learn that self-confidence comes from many sources such as personal experience, background and your ability to control your thought processes.
Let us know what you have learned about self-confidence. Share a comment and we’ll all learn a little more about this incredibly important topic.

We share tips about confidence in our ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies designed specifically for school audiences. www.StandUpForRespect.com

Anti-Bullying Song Stronger by Megan Landry

1 Comment

Canadian Singing Sensation Megan Landry Pixel Dust

Hear 15-year-old singing sensation Megan Landry perform her anti-bullying song on YouTube
You are awesome, Megan!
Here are the lyrics to Stronger by Megan Landry

Stronger Megan Landry

Go ahead and load a gun with all your bitter words
Guarantee it’ll be the loudest gunshot heard
Sticks and stones will break your bones
but one day they will cure
nothing hurts, nothing’s worse
than the taste of hurtful words

No need for bullets, no need for knives
Your sharpest weapon is your drunken lies

You taught me to be stronger
To stand a little prouder
Yell a little louder
You taught me to look right over your head
To smile instead, forget where I bled in the first place

Go ahead and huff & puff and blow my house down
Go ahead and sink my boat but you’re never gonna see me drown
Go ahead and mark me up with bruises and scars
Go ahead and push me but you’re gonna be behind bars

No need for bullets no need for knives
Your sharpest weapon is your drunken lies

You taught me to be stronger
To stand a little prouder, yell a little louder
You taught me to look right over your head
To smile instead, forget where I bled in the first place

Tear me down, I won’t fall to the ground
Don’t say my name, like it belongs in your mouth
Don’t try to break me, don’t try to shake me today, yeah.

You taught me to be stronger
To stand a little prouder, yell a little louder
You taught me to look right over your head
To smile instead, forget where I bled in the first place

See Megan’s amazing YouTube video by clicking here:
http://youtu.be/Nf_7hfA5Pgk

We offer musical school bullying prevention talks, workshops & assemblies:
www.standupnow.ca

York Region Bullying Prevention Assemblies and Parent Presentations

Leave a comment

Ontario’s Bullying Awareness and Prevention week will be recognized at Julliard Public Schooland Elder’s Mills Public School in York Region District School Board with guests from Stand Up Now Productions. Bruce Langford will be presenting Stand Up Against Bullying at Julliard and Stand Up For Respect at Elder’s Mills. He will also be guest speaker at a parent workshop at Elder’s Mills called ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’.

The focus will be on using common scenarios to teach what to do in specific bullying situations, whether you are a bystander, target, teacher or parent.

Stand Up Now Productions visited Julliard last year to present ‘Stand Up For Respect’ for students and a parent bullying information presentation. They have been invited back this year for a follow-up presentation.

Poplar Bank School in York Region Visited by Stand Up Now Productions

Here are some comments from York Region Schools:

“The ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies were excellent! Bruce Langford presented three different programs all geared to our specific grade levels here at Julliard French Immersion School(Toronto). Bruce has a lovely manner with the students and covered many points about bullying prevention using terminology we use here at Julliard. The assemblies were just the right length for our students. We would like to have Bruce back to present his ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies. Our parent evening was also a big success!”

Judith Goldberg, (Vice-Principal)JulliardPublic School, Maple

“The role-plays really drove home the points about misrepresentation on the internet and I loved your songs as well. We were very pleased with the Stand Up Now assemblies at Coledale!”

Donna McGann (Principal) Coledale PS, Markham

“Bruce Langford tapped into the multiple intelligences with his dynamic, clear, engaging way of reaching the audience. This was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at all the schools I’ve been at!”

Karen Monteith (Teacher) Coledale PS, Markham

“Bruce Langford’s parent/children ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’ presentation is a wonderful program. I think that the entire audience will benefit from watching the show. It was very entertaining; it grabbed their attention and was filled with valuable information for all of us!”

David L. Tenn (Parent Council) William Berczy PS, Unionville

“That was fantastic! I was very impressed. You totally engaged the students! I loved your format with the gr 7 & 8’s. I would encourage any school to host Stand Up Now Productions bullying prevention programs.”

Mary Salvarinas (Principal)CoppardGlenPublic School,Markham

“I would recommend this performance to any other interested schools. Bruce Langford was fantastic and he delivered dynamic, energetic content which stimulated the interest of our students – even our intermediates!”

Ghada Sadaka (Vice Principal)BrownridgePublic School, Thornhill

Stand Up Now Productions has visited many York Region District School Board Schools including:

Sharon PS, Grey Owl PS, Nobleton PS, Sir Wilfrid Laurier PS, Lake Wilcox PS, Henderson Avenue PS, Redstone PS, Northern Lights PS, Poplar Bank PS, Red Maple PS and others.

Stand Up Now Productions would be pleased to visit your school.

www.standupnow.ca

School Character Education Assemblies Feature Anti-Bullying Advice

Leave a comment

“Walk with confidence and build a group of friends you can count on.”

This is part of the advice given by Benny DL (Bruce Langford) during a recent assembly near London, Ontario. Students rushed to the front to ask their own questions and meet the presenter. They crowded around, not leaving until teachers finally cleared the gym.
“That was a terrific assembly”, a grade eight student commented. “I really learned a lot of stuff from what he said.”

Cyber-bullying and internet safety was part of the topic along with how to deal with sticky situations without ending up in trouble.
Here is one more piece of advice: Think twice before you pass on information that might be sensitive. I recently was nearly lured into telling something that I fully believed to be true. After finding out the facts, I was totally glad I hadn’t spoken up and shared this information that actually turned out to be sensitive. Just remember, Stand Up – Cyberbullying’s Got 2 Go!
Book assemblies for your school at www.standupagainstbullying.com

Education Week Assemblies in Toronto Feature 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours

Leave a comment

Education Week at Madoc Drive Public School was celebrated today with bullying prevention assemblies by Bruce Langford of ‘Stand Up Now Productions’.
The students were filled with enthusiasm as DJ, Benny DL went live on ATFM Radio. He talked about 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours.

Ignore the Bullying Behaviour (sometimes the person is just trying to get attention)
Say ‘Please Leave Me Alone’ (Say it in a confident way, but only once)
Tell a Parent, Teacher or other Trusted Adult
Get Friends to Help You
Show your Confidence

Madoc students acted out real-life scenarios and participated in songs. A student came up afterwards commenting about the ‘great music and awesome video’. Madoc Principal, Mr. Tim Peterson makes sure students set exellent examples to inspire others. Education week is a great time to focus on bullying prevention. Just remember the 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours.

http://www.standupagainstbullying.com/

Safe At Schools Conference at Nobleton Senior Public School, Greater Toronto

Leave a comment

Stand Up Now featured Bruce Langford as the keynote presenter at Nobleton’s 4^th annual Safe At Schools Conference on Monday.

Principal, Ms. Nancy Redmond gave a warm welcome to the students to launch the day’s activities at Nobleton. The students from Nobleton Junior Public School were guests for the day as they participated in crafts, workshops and the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies featuring student dramas, videos and student interaction.
The grade 6, 7 & 8 ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ presentation was geared directly to the intermediate level with stories and discussion which the students could relate to. It also included scenarios acted out by the students as well as life-like situations depicted in video clips.
Following the presentation, a number of intermediate students rushed to the front to find out more information from presenter, Bruce Langford.

A bullying prevention tip that was key in the presentation revolved around declaring Nobleton a bullying free zone by having the grade 6,7 & 8 students take a vow to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Tip: Resolve to take action when you see a bullying situation.

Nobleton Public School is a school where students definitely will take action as they ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’. We thank the students, administrators, and organizer, Ms. Deborah Godin, for a warm welcome to Nobleton and a truly rewarding day with your students!

Ontario Kids Get Bullying Help at Kids Help Phone

Leave a comment

Our ‘Stand Up Now’ workshops encourage bullied children to talk to a trusted adult about feelings and issues. Express yourself and don’t keep frustration and hurt inside. Tell someone!

We also say, if you don’t have a trusted person to talk with, call ‘Kids Help Phone’ at 1-800-668-6868.
The Kids Help Phone website at http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/ helps you with topics like:

Bullying – Being bullied? Don’t keep it inside. Tell someone.
Violence & abuse
Feelings
The internet
Money
My Body
Friends
Dating
Express yourself – Your space to write letters, share stories, and get stuff off your chest.

The Kids Help Phone Promise is here:
“We are here to help you, not get you into trouble. When you call us, you don’t have to tell us your name, address or phone number.”

We encourage you to call Kids Help Phone if you need to talk about a bullying situation.
‘Stand Up Now’ School Programs www.standupagainstbullying.com

Toronto Middle School Welcomes Cyberbullying Guest Speaker, Bruce Langford at their Annual Safe And Caring Schools Student Conference

Leave a comment

Willowdale Middle School in Toronto featured their Annual Safe and Caring Schools Student Conference today. Bruce Langford started the day by presenting a session to grade 6 and 7 students called ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’. The presentation was about how to stand up against cyberbullying. The Children’s Peace Theatre presented a hands-on workshop at the same time with grade 8 students. Willowdale Middle School students did a skit about how some kids feel pressured to have lots and lots of ‘friends’ on social network sites like Facebook. The girl in the skit told her friend to ‘just add random people so you don’t look like a loser’. She did decide to add someone she didn’t know, and was taking the risk that it could turn out to be an internet predator. In another skit, the police got involved when someone turned out to be posing as someone else online. Students were tuned in to the role-plays and commented about their effectiveness.

Willowdale Principal, Mrs. Angela Caccamo said: “Bruce Langford’s Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies were excellent. I will spread the word to my colleagues.”

The point was made that every middle school student can do something to make sure that cyberbullying does not exist and grow in a school environment. We can all agree; Cyberbullying’s Got 2 Go! Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 (www.atfm.ca) for more information.