BULLYING & TEASING

Gov. Janet Napolitano has recently proposed an anti-bullying program for state's schools. Bullying is a form of aggression by one person toward another. It is intended to harm or cause distress. It occurs repeatedly over time when there is an imbalance of power among the parties. This may be physical, verbal or psychological aggression, such as shunning, manipulating friendships or obscene gestures. Girls most often use exclusion methods-psychological, while boys, most often use physical methods, according to a November 2003 report from the principal at the Corinth Elementary School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas on the progress of the school's implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
The principal wrote, in a report he sent to parents, that the grogram was having a positive effect on the problem of bullying. It is this same program that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano recommends for Arizona schools.
"It's a comprehensive school-based program for any grade level. It's something that's integrated throughout the school environment," said Holly Orozco, the coordinator for the Arizona Parents Commission on Drug Education and Prevention in the Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families.
Bullying used to be accepted with statements like, "boys will be boys" and "girls can be cruel." Since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, parents, schools and legislatures have become more actively involved in bullying prevention. At Mountain Oak School, staff (board members, administration, faculty and parent representatives) participated in a two-day conference in Mesa during January to study and learn more about a "Social Inclusion" model to counter the effects of bullying and teasing. Since then, MOS personnel & staff have been implementing this 'Social Inclusion' model as part of its positive, school-wide discipline approach and program.
The Olweus program came about as a request from the Norwegian Ministry of Education after three adolescent boys in northern Norway committed suicide in 1983, probably as a result of severe bullying by peers, according to an article in MetroKids magazine. The ministry asked Dr. Dan Olweus to research and to create an intervention project on bully/victim problems.
Olweus' resultant book Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do, is considered the definitive text on the problem and on effective ways to counteract and prevent such behavior, the article stated.
"This program has been implemented in dozens of schools internationally," said Orozco. "It's the only anti-bullying program that has 20 years of research behind it." The goal of the program is to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children through a positive, acceptance-type curriculum, she said. "I know the governor's office would not fund a program unless it has shown outstanding, positive results," Orozco said.
What Governor Napolitano hopes the program will do is help schools experience success in the reduction of bullying incidents, whether it is with the Olweus program or another (Social Inclusion) highly-recommended program. The Governor has promised to release further details of this anti-bullying program in the weeks ahead. When that happens, another Tuesday edition will update our MOS community.

- Merrill Badger, Principal

Happenings:

Tonight at 6:00 pm is the 5th grade play.

This Friday morning, do not miss our new breakfast burritos and fresh fruit at Tea Garden.

Next week, Wednesday, May 18th through Friday, May 20th our 5th grade Olympians will be off to compete in the Greek Olympics in Flagstaff.

TOP STORY: Middle School's Medieval Games in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Squire challenges consisted of the following:

Perilous path……over coming water obstacles, giant maze, webs, logs etc Leaping challenge….….cooperative physical challenge Trapped and cornered…cooperative physical challenge trapped within trees Wall and web………….cooperative climbing activity Tug of war…. into the mud Archery….skillful challenge of aim Jousting…..battling opponents to the end Knighting ceremony…each squire knighted before the king.

The wet and cold didn't stop us squires from attaining our goals. Bringing home 12 out of the 18 honors given. We made new friends and got to do a lot of fun things, mainly the pine cone battle within all the attending school. We can't wait to do something like this again. A BIG thanks to Ms. Sharon and others for seeing this trip trough for us.

SCHOOL NEWS

4th Grade Teacher Candidate

Lester Maas, a candidate for the fourth grade teacher position, will be interviewing this week and will be available to meet parents in the third grade classroom at 2:45 pm on Friday. Lester is a trained, certified, and experienced Waldorf teacher, currently working in California; please come by to meet him.

Thanks... Mark Riegner

Also, Middle School is looking
for any medieval costume
you can loan us
for our class play.
Please see Ms. Sharon
as soon as possible
if you can help.

Baseball caps for Sale!

The 6th/7th graders will be selling baseball caps as a fund raiser, starting this week.
So... if you start seeing new, cool caps with "Mountain Oak School" on them, think about getting your own! $11.00 each.

Clark & Nancy Reid-McKee

Plant Sale!
The 6th/7th graders have grown tomatoes, peppers, herbs, flowers and vegetables as a fund raiser! The plants are ready to go right in the soil, pot and all. Selling for only $1.00 each, support this fund raiser by purchasing plants all this week!
Clark & Nancy Reid-McKee