 | MESPA Home > MN Bullying Prevention Initiative & Bookstore > Testimonials and Videos | |  | | Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: panel presentation at MESPA Institute 2010 with principals who have successfully integrated the program into their school community. Panelists included: l-r, Joleen DeLaHunt, Menhaga; Lorene Force, Dassel/Cokato; Joe Thimm, Chisago Lakes; Michelle Krell, Waseca (moderator, at right). |
January 2012 from Greg Seawell, Principal, Melrose Area Elementary: "I'm amazed at the depth of understanding the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program training provided our team! Personally, I have been very sensitive to bullying issues at our school, but quickly learned how ignorant I had been when dealing with students who were bullied or the students who bullied. Research shows that many children never report bullying behavior to school staff and suffer in silence. Bonnie Johnson's Olweus presentation was exceptional and answered numerous misunderstandings for our team. Finally, the team's enthusiasm to tackle bullying issues at our school was 'off the chart' upon the completion of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program training. Thanks, Bonnie!"
December 2010 from Cindy Andress, Principal, Minnewashta Elementary, Minnetonka Public Schools: "We are in the midst of Olweus training in Minnetonka; all six of our elementary schools will be completely on board by February. Our first team completed their training last week; the talk has been exciting and has others looking forward to their training. Our staff trainer's are enjoying working in a new way with their colleagues. We particularly appreciate that we are to implement this program with fidelity--meaning, we do not need to decide what our rules are. The four rules of bullying prevention are outlined and simple to use. MESPA, thank you for featuring Olweus and partnering with Hazelden."
September 2009 from Michelle Krell, Principal, Hartley Elementary, Waseca, MN: We have been using Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in my school for four years. It fit very nicely with our school-wide behavior program. We have meshed the two together very effectively.
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Among the activities we have in place are an anti-bullying pledge we teach the students and they recite each Monday.
- Every Friday we celebrate WCRB day. WCRB (Work, Cooperate, Respect, and Belong) is our school-wide behavior program. Students wear their WCRB t-shirt, we sing our WCRB song (to the tune of YMCA), and we incorporate some type of circle lesson or book.
- Our students have been doing bullying surveys for five years, once in the fall and then in the spring.
- Since adopting the Olweus program and instituting a school-wide behavior program based on Love and Logic and Above and Below the Line behaviors our bullying incidents have decreases dramatically.
- My teachers do an anti-bullying curriculum right away at the beginning of the school year. We teach students a strategy to use if they are bullied "Talk, Walk, Squawk". This has been extremely effective in helping students become assertive, but also knowing when to ask for help.
- We also have a list of picture books at each grade level that focus on bullying that teachers read and discuss with students throughout the year. We have the football team coming next week (Homecoming week) to read an anti-bullying book to each class. What great role models for our students!
- Last year we identified the bus as having the largest bullying problem. We coordinated an effort to get the Intermediate school and my school together in classrooms by bus and we invited the bus drivers. We did some team building, talked about bus rules and bullying. It was a wonderful connection for students and bus drivers. We also matched the a younger student with an older student on the bus so they would feel they had someone to go to if they were having a problem on the bus. Our bus bullying went down dramatically.
- We also bring Climb Theater in each year to either do classroom sessions or all school assemblies on bullying and respectful behavior.
It has been exciting to see the changes in the last four to five years. Students know what bullying is and don't want to be considered a bully.
If you have any principals wanting more information, please pass on my name as I would be happy to help them.
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| | The Minnesota Bullying Prevention Initiative is a partnership of the
Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association, the National Association
of Elementary School Principals, and Hazelden.
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| Olweus Overview on You Tube |
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| Principal on You Tube | A video interview with Ben Lewis, principal of Century Junior High in the Forest Lake School District, praising the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
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| Words from the Founder | Conversation on You Tube with Dr. Dan Olweus, creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
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| Peaceful School Bus |
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| Peaceful School Bus in Scandia | Article in The Country Messenger (May 4, 2010), Scandia students become bucket fillers: Character education goes hand in hand with academics -- "Responsibility, kindness and consideration of others are at the heart of
what the faculty, staff and parents at Scandia Elementary School are
working to instill in their children. 'These are things that make academic success possible,' said Molly
Nemec, elementary school counselor at Scandia. 'Social skills are 80
percent of any job situation and they begin with kindness.' In the
spring of 2005 the Forest Lake School District began collaborating with
Hazelden to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
district-wide in all elementary and junior high schools." To read the article, visit The Country Messenger online.
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| With River Rules, Bullying Falls | Joe Thimm (principal, Chisago Lakes) displaying t-shirt created at Taylors Falls for their bullying prevention program: "With River Rules, Bullying Falls."
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