Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish news. / March 1, 2013, edition 1 / Page 15
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The Charlotte Jewish News - March 2013 - Page 15 Anti-Bullying Symposium Resonates with Local Educators By Jodi Werner Greenwald On January 15 and 16, the 2nd annual Joined In Edueation pro gram onee again featured nation ally reeognized speakers, an evening of reeeptions, and a day long symposium, and was spon sored by the Charlotte Jewish Day Sehool, the Charlotte Jewish Pre- sehool, and the Jewish Presehool on Sardis. Lee Hirseh, direetor of the stir ring doeumentary Bully and ere- ator of the national anti-bullying movements “The Bully Projeet” and “1 Million Kids” addressed a riveted erowd of parents, students, and edueators on January 15 at the Knight Theatre. CMS Superinten dent Heath Morrison and Anne Tompkins, the U.S. Attorney for the Western Distriet of North Car olina, made heartfelt introdue- tions. The following morning, 225 edueators, prineipals, non-profit workers, government ageney rep resentatives, parents, and more - nearly double the partieipants as last year - attended a day-long symposium on bullying preven tion and response. The diverse erowd ineluded representatives from publie, private, and paroehial sehools, as well as from JIE’s sponsoring sehools and or ganizations. “This is where we really rolled up our sleeves and some of the heavy lifting got started,” said JIE Coordinator Gale Osborne. Powerhouse edueator and eon- sultant Barbara Coloroso head Film creator Lee Hirseh. lined the day. She spoke (quiekly!) for a eombined four hours, giving two keynote ad dresses - “Creating an Environ ment of Caring at Home and at Sehool” and “Change in the Classroom” - and leading two workshops, “When is Bullying Really Bullying, or is This Just Normal Kid Behavior?” and “The Presehool Dilemma - at Home and at Sehool.” Sharon Walker, the Career De velopment Coordinator at Provi- denee High Sehool, attended the symposium and said: “Barbara Coloroso was just a fabulous speaker. She has a somewhat dif ferent approaeh to the issue of bully prevention that I have not heard in the same way before. I think I eould have listened to her all day.” Jonathan Mullen, a 3rd Grade Teaeher at Myers Park Tradi tional, agrees: “She knows her stuff, and it was very elear, very praetieal, applieable, and enter taining. The time just flew.” Even though the symposium was a full day long - it went from 9:30 AM to 6 PM - many eduea tors noted on an audienee survey that they wished they eould have had additional time to learn more. The sehedule also ineluded Caltha Crowe diseussing bully proofing the elassroom, Miehelle leard speaking on middle sehool issues. Dr. Sean Knuth addressing eyber-bullying, and Bassie Shem- tov taekling high sehool topies. “I was very impressed with the entire program,” said Miehael Rinehart, a seienee teaeher and the 7th Grade Coordinator at Char lotte Country Day Sehool. “This is the seeond [JIE] eonferenee I have attended, and I always eome away impressed with their eom- mitment to edueating teaehers and parents. The organizers and vol unteers also did a fabulous job of making the partieipants feel wel- eome and eomfortable throughout the day.” Even luneh was produetive. Partieipants eould ehoose to sit at tables earmarked for diseussion with a moderator on a bullying topie. Walker, for example, dis- Speaker Barbara Coloroso. eussed “Asperger’s, Geeks, and Outsiders - How to Bring Them In” with Dr. Frank Gaskill. Walker is the Anti-Bullying staff person for Providenee High Sehool and the faeulty advisor for the Gay Straight Allianee, whieh she says initiates many of the Bully Prevention efforts. Walker said Providenee High Sehool paid for her to attend the JIE sympo sium beeause, “We are always looking for new ideas.” With sueh proaetive and open- minded professionals like Walker, Mullen, and Rinehart in atten- danee at JIE this year, there’s real potential for ineidents of bullying in Charlotte to deerease and for those who do find themselves being bullied to more easily find allies to turn to. Mullen shares one aneedote: A boy in his elass had lately begun shutting down. His grades were slipping, and he was aeting out of eharaeter. After JIE, Mullen took the boy for a walk during reeess and found out that he was being bullied. Lively discussions took places over lunch. “Having had the workshop. §' VC* T ^ I felt I had tools I wouldn’t have had,” Mullen says. “I told him, T’m sorry that happened to you. I ean imagine how horrible that feels. I’m here for you. We’re going to eonfront the bully to gether. It might get a little worse before it gets better, but it will get better.’” Mullen says he saw immedi ate results in the ehild, beeause the ehild no longer felt isolated. He now had an ally. Osborne says as many as 55,000 students eould be impaeted by this year’s JIE program, if you take into aeeount the partieipants’ far-reaehing professional roles. This year’s Joined In Edueation program was a starting point for bullying diseussions and aetivism here in Charlotte. Organizers have already begun diseussing future sereenings of the film Bully for teens and adults. For handouts from the sympo sium, additional resourees and a full list of JIE sponsors, see: www.joinedinedueation.org. ^ Jodi Werner Greenwald is PTO President at the Charlotte Jewish Preschool. JOINED IN EDUCATION { Conder^' formal ^ndens * Luxurious pool ■Tennis court ■ 24-hour security Deluxe Ihnss cermer ■ Gourmet coffee bar • Generous parking FROM THE k 400 i } ROSEWOOD ■ 1 li IT 1' i I f i di U t.l ll'u hi The stDiTtxxjk setting of Rosewood at Pnoviderce arid Sharon Annrty b knowi by its generations-old rose garden, a Queen City landmark. Inside is a tale of treasuned friendships, rich amenities arid everyday elegance that aetds up to a lifestyle mofe than gold, A limited number of condominium homes are availabfe at Rosewood. Inquire today RO$EWOODCONO05.COM [ 704.366-7662 1 FROM THE 5400’s ] hodsi home open, call Mujy 5tewari or Kathy LaudgrafT for an appKointment} DICKENS * Att^xaArKi MITCHENER FftOwDENcT ROAD CHARLOTTE, NC 232 I '
March 1, 2013, edition 1
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