By?Christopher Gooding
The Record
SPRINGHILL - It was a good, good day at Springhill High last week when students stood up against bullying and committed themselves to becoming part of the solution.
Inspired by the actions of two Nova Scotia teens who encouraged classmates to wear pink and combat bullying, Stand Up Today is a North American initiative to continue combating bullying in schools and Springhill High students embraced the action, donning pink shirts reading Stood Up, raising awareness and even entertaining their classmates. Seeing the senior high students send a message to younger grades that they are there to help, SHS guidance counselor Susan MacDonald says, is a success in itself.
"It means they are officially part of the action," MacDonald said. "Bullying is not just something we deal with. It's a community issue and they have more power with their voices than we do."
The highlight of the promotion came at recess when students presented a flash mob in the cafeteria. Taking their dance steps from the same flash mob witnessed on the Oprah Show in Sept., senior high students wearing Stood Up t-shirts seemingly broke out into a spontaneous yet choreographed dance to the Black Eyed Peas single, I got A Feeling.
The surprise performance was months in the making under the direction of Valerie Fahey and went without a hitch.
"We had a lot of fun with it and it has a lot of impact and is a very simple thing to do," MacDonald said. "It's small steps. Bullying is a big issue and we're not going to erase it over night. "
With the younger grades now hooked, a drive will take place in 2010 to enroll junior high students into the action. For more information, students can go to www.standuptoday.com.
Get up and dance
Get up and dance
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Published on
November 25, 2009
- Published on March 8, 2010
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Staff ~ The Record
SHS flash mob combating school bullying
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