anti bullying at north

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Staff report
Ronald McDonald turned serious for a few minutes Friday at North Rowan Elementary School.
“There are some people who do not want you to be your best, to do your best, to be proud of yourself,” he told students gathered on the floor in front of him.
They’re bullies, he said.
And kids need to know how to deal with them.
The costumed character from McDonald’s brought an anti-bullying message to all grades at the school, in two separate sessions, to teach them how to handle tough situations.
He invited seven children on stage during the first session and had them demonstrate bully faces and stances, hands on hips.
But you can’t always tell who is a bully by looks, he said. They can be boys or girls, little kids or big kids.
Have you ever told someone “I was only kidding,” or “It was just a joke,” he asked.
If so, he said, you were making an excuse for behavior that’s not right. You were being mean. Maybe you were being a bully. Bullies enjoy making other people feel bad, he said.
Ronald asked the children what they would do if they a bully was picking on them.
They’d tell someone, several children said ó parents, the guidance counselor, teachers, the principal.
Even the police, one child said.
That’s all good, Ronald said, though calling the police shouldn’t be necessary.
“What if you walk away?” he asked. “Then they can’t pick on you anymore.”
When you ignore bullies, you take away their power, he said. And when you stick close to your friends, you lessen the chance that a bully will single you out. A bully will pick on only one person, he said, not a group.