Peters using anti-bullying program in elementary schools
Kids from Bower Hill Elementary pose as their favorite superheroes.
Students are reminded to treat each other with respect at Bower Hill Elementary School.
Bower Hill Elementary School Heroes flex their muscles.
McMURRAY – With more than 2,000 students in three Peters Township elementary schools, bullying situations – and bad behavior – can happen.
So, the administrators of Pleasant Valley Elementary, Bower Hill Elementary and McMurray Elementary are trying something new this school year. They have started HERO, which is an acronym for Helping Everyone Respect Others. It is a program held in the three schools that encourages and rewards good behavior and citizenship.
“We looked at multiple programs and combined the best we could find,” explained Michael Brookie, assistant principal at McMurray Elementary, which has 1,000 students in fourth through sixth grades. “It was a lot of collaboration with the staffs.”
The goals of the Peters HERO program include improving the social behavior climate at the schools and supporting and enhancing the impact of academic instruction. Other program goals include increasing positive preventive management while decreasing reactive management, improving the overall school experience for all students, as well as giving students the chance to share experiences and provide feedback. And lastly, the program aims to streamline communication through common language and expectations.
While the Peters HERO program is designed to promote respect among the students, it also teaches them about safety and encourages them to not be afraid to express themselves. Plus, it allows administrators to see their schools through the children’s eyes, said Brookie and Robert Garvey, principal of Bower Hill.
HERO lessons are usually held one to two times a month and are age-appropriate. Discussion is based about topics central to a healthy school and student body, they said. Already, students have been taught appropriate behavior on the school bus and will soon learn how to correctly use electronic devices, such as an iPad and “what to post and what not to post,” said Shelly Belcher, a district spokeswoman.
“The program does allow for flexibility if the need arises for a new lesson during the school year,” Belcher said.
Students are encouraged to appreciate each other’s opinions and not to use put-downs or sarcasm, listen and be respectful, participate when appropriate and to take the discussion seriously.
“It’s our positive behavior program,” Garvey said.
Teachers at Bower Hill and Pleasant Valley select the HERO winners each week. The HERO of the week gets a special bracelet and is recognized at morning announcements. The winners at McMurray Elementary also get recognized during morning announcements and they receive Murray bucks from teachers that they can use to buy supplies at the school’s store.
Both Garvey and Brookie said it is still too early to say how the program has impacted the students. But, they did say they hope the students feel empowered.
“We want the kids to come and see us,” Brookie said. “We started out as teachers. The visits to the principal’s office should have a positive tone. We want the kids to know they have a voice. “