High School Football Players Befriend Bullied Girl

Crossing social boundaries...that is what this story is all about!  We had a very successful Mix It Up At Lunch Day yesterday!  Students enjoyed eating and visiting with new people in their class at lunch time!  Check out how these two high school star football players came to the rescue of a bullied classmate despite their differences in social status! 

Football Players Befriend Bullied Girl VIDEO

Mix It Up At Lunch Day Bulletin Board

Mix It Up At Lunch Day Tuesday, October 30!!!

Tomorrow, the students of SMS, along with thousands of others across the nation, will be participating in Mix It Up At Lunch Day!  In conjunction with October being Bullying Prevention Month, Mix It Up activities encourage students to cross the invisible lines of division that exist between students in our school, especially in the lunch room.  Students will randomly be assigned a seat after going through the lunch line and there will be conversation starters on each table.  In the past we have seated students using colored Life Savers candy, playing cards, and birthday months.  It is fun to see the kids interact with people they might not normally visit with--every year people find they have lots in common with someone they have rarely ever talked to!  The students also created a bulletin board that says "The Scars Of Bullying Never Fade Away".  Each student wrote a time when they were bullied or harassed on a piece of colored paper and then crumpled the paper and "beat it up".  They were then told to apologize to the paper and smooth it out to make it look brand new.  They soon realized it was impossible to get all the wrinkles out and make the paper perfect again...much like we can't take back the hurtful words and actions we often say and do to others.  We encourage you to talk to your student about their experience with Mix It Up At Lunch Day and how this type of activity can help us be more aware of division and bullying in our school!

Pack The Gym For Rachel's Challenge

Sheldon School District is excited to be bringing Rachel's Challenge to the students, parents, and community of Sheldon!  Rachel Scott was the first student killed in the tragic Columbine School shooting in 1999.  Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school.  Rachel's Challenge is a series of student empowering programs and strategies that equip students and adults to combat bullying and ally feelings of isolation and despair by creating a culture of kindness and compassion.  We invite all students, parents, and community members to be a part of this community changing event! 

WE WANT TO PACK THE GYM ON NOVEMBER 5TH, TO SHOW THAT THE SHELDON SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WANT TO TAKE A REAL STAND AGAINST BULLYING!!!!

What:  Rachel's Challenge Community Event Night
When:  Monday, November 5th at 7 PM in the SHS Gymnasium
Who:  Any parent, student, or community member

Here is a look at what Rachel Scott and the Rachel's Challenge Program is all about:
Rachel's Challenge Video and Big Picture

CHECK IT OUT AND SPREAD THE WORD! 

Red Ribbon Week 2012

Next week the students and staff of SMS will be observing Red Ribbon Week 2012.  Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 when Kiki Camarena, a drug enforcement agent, was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico City.  In honor of his memory, people all across the country began wearing red satin ribbons as a visible sign of intolerance to drugs. 

Each student will be receiving a red ribbon next Monday that states, "We rule!  We are a bully and drug free school!"  Each day, the students will also have the opportunity to participate in fun dress up days that accompany the drug free slogan for that day.  Here are the dress up days:

Monday--Team Up Against Drugs:  Wear favorite sports team apparel
Tuesday--Be All You Can Be...Be Drug Free:  Wear camouflage
Wednesday--Orange You Drug Free?:  Wear orange and ORAB gear
Thursday--Peace Out To Drugs:  Wear hippie or tie dye clothing
Friday--NO SCHOOL 

SAY NO TO DRUGS!  STAND UP TO BULLYING!

The Third Party In Bullying

With October being Bullying Prevention Month, we often talk about two groups of students that are impacted by bullying--the victims and the bystanders.  However, this article discusses the third, often less addressed party during bullying prevention month--the bully.  Check out the article to learn more about the personality of the bully, the causes of bullying, and how we can be helping the bully to change! 

Bully Article

A Visual of Bullying

Check out this powerful visual that one teacher used to show her class the lasting effects of bullying...this lesson might show up here at SMS :)

Bullying Visual

Creating An Athlete In Iowa

This is a great story by former Iowa Hawkeye and current NFL player, Nate Kaeding.  Not only does his "cheat sheet for creating an elite athlete in Iowa" apply to athletics, but it also applies to creating elite STUDENTS, LEADERS, and CITIZENS!  We truly are lucky to live in Iowa :)  Check out the article linked below!

Nate Kaeding article

Iowa Youth Survey To Be Administered To 6th and 8th Grade

In the next few weeks, Mrs. Kopperud and Mrs. Barwick will be administering the Iowa Youth Survey to students in grades 6 and 8.  The survey is strictly anonymous and the feedback from the survey is so valuable as we plan how to better meet the needs of our students here at SMS!  Linked below is a copy of the passive parent permission letter.  This was also included in our registration materials.  There is a copy of the actual survey in the SMS office if you would like to take a look.  Please let Mrs. Kopperud and Mrs. Barwick know if you have any questions concerning this valuable tool!

Passive Parent Permission Letter

Teens Against Bullying

Students and parents...check out this website from the National Bullying Prevention Center!  It has great resources and info about bullying geared for middle school students.  You can even take a pledge to help unite against bullying!  October is bullying prevention month, and we will be doing some activities here at SMS, like Mix It Up At Lunch Day, to show our support of bullying prevention!  Stay tuned for more info!

Teens Against Bullying Website