Framingham's King Elementary School Dedicates Month of February as Upstander Month
February 20, 2019 (Framingham, MA): The Framingham Public School District is excited to launch the following initiatives at King Elementary School and with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Community Development, FPS is looking to extend these efforts to all schools across the District.
John Maynard, Principal of
King Elementary School, recently shared what it means to be an Upstander. See how Framingham's youngest elementary school is dedicating the month of February to creating awareness on an initiative that promotes good citizenship.
"Having our Student Council kick-off this important month-long theme presented a great opportunity for our students to take a leadership role in promoting kind behavior and how to be an upstander against bullying behavior," said John Maynard, Principal of King Elementary School. "The events are designed to support our students in making good choices and being good citizens of King and the wider Framingham community. We know this behavior needs to last well beyond the month of February, and we are committed to shifting the culture for the long-term."
February 1st, 2019
The King Student Council kicked off Upstander Month with a presentation to the entire school on what it means to be an Upstander. Bystanders stand by and watch the bad behavior. Upstanders stand up to bullying in one or any of the following four ways:
- Being a buddy to the person being bullied
- Interrupting the bullying in real-time to give the person being bullied a chance to walk way
- Speaking out to the bully - this takes the most courage, and
- Telling someone during or after the bullying.
Take a look at the
presentation with a link to the video that the children watched.
Upstander Poster Contest
At the February 1st Community Meeting (Assembly), the King Student Council kicked off an Upstander Poster Contest. This concept has benefits for all of our Elementary Schools and is being looked at by the Health and Wellness Department and the Fine and Performing Arts Department. The infomation for King students is below - more to come if this is to expand into the other schools! All parents are encouraged to speak with their children about the contest, their ideas, and progress with their submissions. This will help keep an open dialogue throughout the month.
- Poster Theme: “How to Be An Upstander”
- Eligible Students: All Students in grades K-4
- Judging: Student Council at King
- Prizes: There will be winning posters and prizes at each grade level
- Deadline: Monday, March 11th
February 11th: Parent Forum on Bullying and Cyberbullying
On Monday, February 11th from 6:30pm - 8:30pm, King parents attended a special event with guest speaker,
Dr. Elizabeth Englander from the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC). In this parent forum, parents were provided helpful information and methods to support their children against bullying and cyberbullying.
February 12th: Unity Task Force - 1st Meeting
King parents gathered to assemble a Unity Task Force. At this meeting, the group planned to determine a vision for the Task Force, a meeting schedule, and outline goals for the group. Four parents were requested to serve on this group who will be responsible for coming up with short-term goals to guide long term unity throughout the school.
February 26th: OOCH School Assembly
On Tuesday, February 26th, King students will be getting the
OOCH Experience. This will be done in two assemblies - one for children in grades K-2 and the other for children in grades 3 and 4. Based on talks with mental health professionals, the “Super-POWER Show’’ is a 60-minute performance for elementary school children that discusses bullying, how to respond to it, and how bystanders can recognize their role in stopping it. The show also emphasizes the importance of reporting bullying incidents right after they happen.
February 27th: Pink Day
The King community will be encouraged to wear pink on Wednesday, February 27th. The students and staff of King Elementary School are taking part in a symbolic celebration with international recognition. By wearing pink, they are standing up to bullying. Anti-Bullying Day (a.k.a. Pink Shirt Day) is a day celebrated on various dates across the world, originating in Canada and most commonly known in North America. It takes place on the last Wednesday of February. It originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at Central Kings Rural High School in Nova Scotia when a grade nine student, Charles McNeill, was bullied after arriving to school wearing a pink shirt. On this day, many of those who participate wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying.
MARC Student Assembly
Following the Parent Forum on February 11th, MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center) is looking to return to King Elementary School for a Student Assembly. In an interactive lecture style. the Bullying & Cyberbullying Basics Assembly is tailored for age appropriateness. It covers digital skills, social and emotional learning, conflict resolution, and provides tools and tips for coping with challenging social issues. This event will take place on Tuesday, April 2nd and will be presented by Meghan McCoy from MARC.
About King Elementary School
King Elementary School is a child-centered learning community focused on meeting the needs of the whole child in kindergarten through 4th grade through an inclusive, collaborative, interactive, and project-based model of instruction. Reaching beyond the academic education for children at these ages, King is committed to educating the social, emotional, and physical needs of their students, as well. They consistently strive to provide all children with a safe, caring, and nurturing environment where all youngsters and their families feel valued for their unique and special qualities. For news, updates, and announcements, follow King Elementary School (@KingElementaryFPS) on Facebook and on Twitter (@KingSchoolFPS).
About Framingham Public Schools
The mission of the Framingham Public Schools is to educate each student to learn and live productively as a critically-thinking, responsible citizen in a multicultural, democratic society by providing academically challenging instructional programs taught by highly-qualified staff and supported by comprehensive services in partnership with our entire community. For news, updates, and announcements, follow Framingham Public Schools (@FraminghamPS) on Facebook, Twitter, and (@framinghamschools) on Instagram. You can also join the conversation using #FraminghamSchools.
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Framingham Public Schools