April+16+-+April+23+Article+of+the+Week

Read the following article and answer the questions that follow.

Website for Article PDF of Article =Movie on bullying makes an impact with Parkway eighth-graders= It didn't take long for a documentary about bullying to sink in with the eighth-graders at Parkway Southwest Middle School. Some were in tears after seeing the film, and a few students stopped a bullying incident on the bus that afternoon, teachers say. "It was verbal bullying, being ugly and they stood up to the bully," said Joanne Stockstrom, an eighth-grade teacher at the school. The film, "Bully," opens nationwide in theaters on Friday, but around 500 students and teachers in the St. Louis area saw a screening last fall at the St. Louis International Film Festival, when it was titled "The Bully Project." That screening, and the comments received afterward, helped director Lee Hirsch realize the potential impact of his movie. The screening in St. Louis "was one of the best we had," Hirsch said in a phone interview Tuesday. "So many of the students wrote in and said they want to be a principal so they can stop bullying. One student said he stepped in on a bullying incident and then went with the student to talk to a counselor. The youth there were really inspired. " The film, which was also previewed on Tuesday night at Plaza Frontenac, follows the stories of five students and their families in four states dealing with the effects of bullying during the 2009-10 school year. "Bully" has received weeks of publicity leading up to its release, partly because of controversy about its initial R rating, which would have prevented kids, the film's target audience, from seeing it. Last week, the distributor of the film removed some language and the Motion Picture Association of America has since rated it PG-13. In one scene, the assault of a 12-year-old boy in Iowa was so serious that filmmakers turned the footage over to authorities. The documentary, and in particular that scene, left 100 freshman boys from St. Mary's High School wide-eyed and silent. "That bus situation is the most horrifying thing I have ever seen in my life," said Barb Bohn, a St. Mary's teacher who took students to see the movie last fall. "The physical and mental abuse — it's just unreal." Schools nationwide have taken steps to combat bullying by creating prevention programs and training teachers. In the St. Louis area, there are positive behavior programs at many schools, as well as bullying awareness weeks. But the movie suggests more needs to be done, by both students, teachers and administrators. Kirk and Laura Smalley, parents of an 11-year-old Oklahoma boy who was bullied and committed suicide, were filmed in the aftermath of their son's death. They have started an anti-bullying campaign called Stand for the Silent. Ty's story may have struck a particular chord with students here — he was a Cardinals fan, a point shown in the footage of his funeral, Hirsch said. The Smalleys have spoken at schools across the country, including nine in Missouri that have all since started chapters, among them Parkway Southwest Middle. The school's campaign encourages students to stand up for those being bullied rather than be a bystander. Students use the sign for love — hand up with palms out and the middle and ring finger down — as a show of support for bully victims. The movie also could force educators to take a second look at how they handle bullying incidents. The principal of the Sioux City East Middle School where the bus bullying took place reportedly apologized to the crowd after a screening of the movie, saying administrators needed to do better. "The thing that was devastating was the hundreds of families we talked to that feel like the school isn't helping them," Hirsch said. Problems are often shrugged off with a "kids will be kids" attitude, he said. That's why the website for the movie has toolkits posted for students, parents and educators to work against bullying. "I think there is a lot of denial about recognizing bullying — there is a very fine line between bullying and teasing," Stockstrom said. The film "is frighteningly realistic, and I truly believe everyone needs to see it."
 * BY JESSICA BOCK • jbock@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8228 | Posted: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 4:15 am**

You just read an article about a movie that is currently in theaters about bullying. Visit the Stand for the Silent website, @http://www.standforthesilent.org/, and take some time reading the information there.


 * 1) 1 - Write a persuasive letter to a bully. Remember who your audience is and that aggression and negativity will not work. You need to use powerful words and make a connection to him/her to make them //want// to change. (W1 - I can write to persuade.)


 * 1) 2 - You may write any response you would like on the topic of bullying. Please know that if you are in any way, shape, or form feeling bullied and that we are not doing enough about it, come and talk to me.