Second Step can help stop bullying

Once again, I am reading a letter or article about bullying in the RSS system. Once again, I am urging our school system, as Jenny Blume did in her letter this morning, to seriously look at the bullying problem. Once again, I am advocating for the RSS system to look at the Second Step program that is a Best Practices program, run by Families First, a United Way, non-profit organization. We believe that this positive social emotional growth program which encompasses bully prevention is so important to our pre-K, K and first-grade students, and the educators at the 10 schools we served this year overwhelmingly agree.

A confidential five question survey/evaluation was filled out by 55+ educators  last week, and an overwhelming response was as positive as it could be (a 10 on a scale of 1-10 on effectiveness). The comments “I feel that the program has been very helpful,” “the bullying lessons were awesome,”  “very effective,” “my students use the techniques to calm themselves down” are just a few of the comments shared.

The director of Families First, sponsor of Second Step, has repeatedly tried to get the RSS system to invest in our program, to no avail.  Grants have dried up and it doesn’t look promising for next year. Our youngest students need to learn social emotion growth, and IPads cannot teach that. Let’s contact our school board members and the RSS system now, or everyone will lose this valuable program.

— Lea Silverburg

Salisbury 

Silverburg is program manager/educator of Second Step.

 

Just my opinion

“Judge not, lest you also be judged.” That’s just my “opinion” … everybody is entitled to theirs … but, don’t I have to “judge” to have an “opinion” on whether I like/dislike, agree or disagree? Just asking.

And, if I have an opinion, does it not have to be based on my perceptions of experiences or information interpreted and related by a human informing me via media? Whose opinion is based on their perception of their or others input?

In regards to “Coal ash neighbors say leaders are focused on politics, not solutions,” aren’t “leaders” politicians? And, politicians are “focused” on benefiting themselves and their “interests” (getting re-elected/moving up the power chain?). And, isn’t Pat McCrory a longtime Duke Power employee/advocate vetoing forming a commission to investigate the company? Just curious.

Thank you for letting me vent.

— Larry E. Craver

Salisbury