Zero-Indifference Handout

The purpose of this week is to highlight the effects of bullying, heighten awareness and help students, teachers and parents learn to recognize and end bullying...so that we can all Be Bully Free!

Character Education Publication authored by our students. The text in red went out to teachers. Assignments will be collected and read with all appropriate work compiled in a book to share with sites during Be Bully Free Week.

Calling All Teachers!!
Amador Public Schools
Character Education Poetry, Essay and Short Story Contest

We are looking for assignments – poetry, short story or essay – with the theme of Compassion or Integrity for publication in an ACUSD/ACOE Anthology to be distributed during Anti-Bully Week.

This is voluntary. The intent is not to add one more thing to instruction, but rather to provide opportunities for our students to have their standards-based, character education projects/writings shared. If you are going to do a short story, essay or poetry assignment anyway…why not submit it to the Curriculum and Tolerance Committee (TOC)?

Please submit all work no later than December 18, 2011. The TOC will select the best for publication…and there is no limit…if we receive 300 appropriate and relevant entries…we will publish them all!

Nov./Dec. Compassion (love, empathy, kindness, acceptance, forgiveness)
January Integrity (honor, loyalty, morality, humility, gratitude)

Cyber Bully Awareness Night for parents. In cooperation with the Amador County Juvenile Justice Commission ACOE will host high school, junior high and elementary nights to discuss cyber bullying.

Staff Awareness Meeting: Each site and department will host a meeting in January to discuss our anti-bully policies and our Zero Indifference stance (see attached)

Classroom Kick-off – All classrooms will kick-off the week with the following activity: Teachers will ask students to take out a piece of paper and crumple it up, stomp on it…really mess it up but not to rip it. Teachers will then have students unfold the paper, smooth it out and look at how scarred and dirty it is. Teachers will now instruct students to tell the paper they are sorry and explain that even though they say they are sorry and tried to fix the paper…and may truly be sorry…they left behind visual scars and those scars will never go away no matter how hard we try to fix it. Teachers will point out this is what happens when a child bullies another student, they may say they are sorry, but the scars are there forever. Simple things make a big difference.

Additionally, administrators and teachers will be provided with sample activities and lessons from such organizations as the Anti-Defamation League, the Museum of Tolerance and the Southern Poverty Law Center.