OTTUMWA —
School officials can write all the anti-bullying policies they want, but it’s kids and their parents who will really put a stop to the violence.
Dalton Prasch and his study partner, Matthew Kelley, were looking up slogans for a class project on bullying. The script that Laura Allen’s fifth-graders came up with ran as a public service announcement on local radio stations.
“Dalton and Mattie took it a step further,” said Allen. “They looked up and printed slogans and posters so everyone could be safe at our school. And they did it on their own initiative.”
“People bully each other,” said Dalton. “When we saw the posters, we thought, if the teacher lets us, we could hang them around the school so they won’t bully each other.”
“To remind them,” added Matthew.
Dana Warnecke, the principal, said she’s proud of Dalton and Matthew, because one of the values taught at Agassiz is that if something good needs to be done, then do it.
“Students are encouraged to [demonstrate] leadership,” she said.
The boys recruited a few friends and went around posting a variety of anti-bullying messages.
Dalton has his favorite on his desk, Allen said.
“It tells you all the stuff that bullies do, and it’s got the ‘no bullying’ thing around it,” he said.
Their classmate, Caleb Weeks, is one of the biggest boys in the class. Yet he agreed there’s always someone bigger — and always someone smaller — than you.
“If I did [bully someone], my mom and dad would ground me for, like, a year,” Caleb said.
Besides, he said, his goal in school is to be a successful student; hurting his classmates isn’t part of that.
Several of the students admitted they’d both picked on someone else, like a sibling, and been picked on. Even Caleb has had peers try to be hurtful.
“It kind of bothered me,” he acknowledged. “I just ignored them.”
“If you do it or get it, it feels the same,” said Matthew.
What does that mean?
“It hurts to get bullied. But I think if you bully, it hurts you, too,” he explained.
Tips to stop a bully
Mrs. Allen’s entire fifth grade class came up with 10 tips to stop a bully for their radio spot. Here’s some of their ideas, based on the Public Service Announcement they wrote.
• Talk to an adult you trust, and tell them what’s going on. They can help you. Don’t stay silent about a problem.
• When they bully, don’t react to what they say, or walk away from them. Bullies like to see a reaction to their cruelty.
• Don’t let them get inside your mind. Keep your cool.
• If someone makes fun of you, say, “So what.”
• Don’t become a bully.
Local News
Related Photos
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Not every sign against bullying reads like a formal policy. A few fifth-graders at Agassiz Elementary School convinced friends to help them put up colorful, kid-friendly posters that they hope will serve as reminders. Mark Newman/The Courier
Kids ask other kids not to bully
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