Peer Pals, Mentors and Social Skills

The students enjoy coming for alternative recess when there is a difficult situation that prevents them from going outside.  Some students come to find a friend or be a peer mentor to a younger student.  The students here are learning many different strategies for dealing with bullying, getting along, developing empathy and using appropriate language.  We are blessed to have BOT here at St. Christopher.

Bully Prevention Poster Contest and Social Skills Happening

Bully Prevention and Awareness Month

Our week of Bully Awareness and Prevention activities was a success.  Thank you to the many students who submitted their posters.  All were Fantastic.  I've posted a few for everyone to see.  

CYBER BULLYING INFORMATION

What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is the use of any kind of technology to intimidate, hurt, or humiliate others. It’s so common that you or someone you know have probably already been involved in it—whether as target, bystander, or as the person cyberbullying others. Here are some examples of cyberbullying: teen sadly sits with cellphone Sending cruel or threatening emails, texts, or instant messages to someone Posting photos that you know will embarrass someone Creating a website to make fun of someone Posting insults on someone’s timeline Making up fake accounts on social networking sites (like Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr) to ridicule others Rating people in online polls Spreading secrets or rumours about people online Harassing other players in online video games (flaming) So? All forms of bullying are hurtful, but there are some things about cyberbullying that can make it especially devastating. For example: It’s easier to be cruel when you can’t see or be seen by your target. When someone doesn’t witness the hurt they are causing, it’s easier to imagine that ‘it’s just a joke’ or that what they’re doing is ‘no big deal.’ Cyberbullying has a much larger audience than face-to-face bullying. If someone posts something that your entire friend circle can see, it’s going to hurt more than if they’d said the same thing to your face. The perpetrator is anonymous in some types of cyberbullying, which can make the abuse very difficult to stop. Because teens are always wired, cyberbullying can follow them everywhere—even into ‘safe’ places like their homes.

 Cyberbullying Rumours, gossip, threats, insults, cruelty—these things don’t only happen face-to-face. Bullying and harassment can take place through text messaging, Facebook, YouTube, rating sites, email, blogs and other communications media. We use the term ‘cyberbullying’ to describe this kind of behaviour. Other people might call it ‘harassment,’ ‘abuse,’ ‘meanness’ or just plain ‘bullying’. Whatever you choose to call it, bullying that happens online is a serious problem that many teens are dealing with.

Cyberbullying Information

What is Bullying? Bullying is a specific relationship characterized by recurrent abuse of power by a person (or group) over another person. Bullying is expressed differently depending on the age of the abuser. What is Cyberbullying? As its name implies, cyberbullying is bullying through an electronic medium, such as a computer or cell phone. The Internet’s reach and perceived anonymity means that children who might not otherwise initiate bullying may initiate this sort of behaviour, and an unlimited number of young people may become bystanders who perpetuate the victimization as they read and forward harassing messages and/or images. It is extremely important that young people learn how to respond to cyberbullying. Adults can help. How do I Know Whether My Child is the Target of Cyberbullying? Signs that your child is being bullied online include fear of using the computer or going to school, anxiety and psychological distress, and withdrawal from friends and usual activities. What Should I do if My Child is Targeted? •Report the cyberbullying to your local police. The abuser is probably breaking other laws, too. •You can also call the tip line at the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) •Meet with school officials if your child is being bullied by a peer at school. •File a complaint: ■For bullying using e-mail or instant messaging (IM), contact the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of the perpetrator at or . Forward offending e-mails or IM message logs to the ISP with your complaint. ■For bullying material posted on a Web site, use the Contact Us section of the site and ask to have the material removed. ■For bullying through a cell phone, have your service provider trace the call and contact the perpetrator’s service provider. How can I Prevent Cyberbullying? As a large portion of cyberbullying occurs in the home, you must get better informed about your children’s online activities. Get involved and talk to your child about behaving ethically online. Establish rules regarding appropriate Internet use. MediaSmarts research shows that these rules have a very positive impact on your children’s online behaviour. You can consult MediaSmarts' resources on developing household Internet rules. Urge your children to come to you as soon as they feel uncomfortable or threatened online. What Should I Avoid Doing if My Child is a Target of Cyberbullying? It can be difficult for a young person to come forward when being bullied; even to mum or dad. To foster a climate of trust, do not overreact. Do not forbid your child to use the Internet in the hope of eliminating the source of the problem: for your child, this is the equivalent of social death and will leave her or him feeling even more victimized (not to mention the fact that an extreme reaction such as this will probably cause your child to avoid confiding in you again when feeling threatened). How Can I Learn More? As much as possible, show an interest in your child’s online life: where does he or she go online? What does he or she do? What is it about these online experiences that are so absorbing? If you’re in the habit of sharing your own online experiences with your child, she or he will be more likely to talk to you when having a negative experience. If you want to better understand your child’s online experience, go to MediaSmarts' BeWebAware site at http://www.bewebaware.ca/. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome Back To School

Inspirational Quotes

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” 

Friends For Life information

                                         Friends For Life

Here at St.Christopher we are happy to announce our Grade 4 classes will be participating in the Friends for Life Program. This program will begin in the near future and will run for 12 weeks.  Friends for Life teaches cognitive and emotional skills in a simple, well-structured classroom setting.  It will help children cope with feelings of fear, worry, and depression by building resilience and self-esteem.  We encourage the students to bring home the activities to share with their families and practice these new skills.

 FRIENDS helps children and youth gain skills such as: 

Dealing with difficult situations 

Recognizing the signs of anxiety

Relaxation techniques 

Positive thinking  

Problem solving 

Emotional resilience 

Using peer support 

Conflict resolution

If there are any questions or concerns don't hesitate to contact me here at the school. 

http://stchriswecdsb.blogspot.ca/https://sites.google.com/a/wecdsb.on.ca/stchrisportal/

Welcome to my Blog

I am Mrs. Bevins and so glad to have the Back on Track room here at St. Christopher.  My door is always open.  If there is a situation that is causing you to feel you need to talk please come see me.  I will listen and provide you with  the support you need to resolve the problem.

I'm here to provide alternative programs, pro-social skills and positive reinforcements that students need to develop confidence to become productive members of our community. 

Back on Track
Back on Track is a program that was created with the purpose to improve student behaviour through a multitude of social and behavioural programming. 
Behavioural interventions such as alternative programs, detentions, proactive skill building group sessions, calming area, alternative recess program, positive reinforcement activity centers, and individual and/or group pro social skills.   Some students  also receive individualized classroom behaviour management programming. Back on Track is intended to be a positive approach in assisting students with their behaviour rather than a punitive approach.  


PEER PALS is up and running.  Students from grades 5 -8 are encouraged to be leaders here at St. Chris.  Peer Pals run everyday during lunch recess.  Students can enjoy the co-operative games, social interaction and positive reinforcements they earn by participating.

Friends for life will start soon.  The grade 4 classes will be participating in the program.  This is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain and apply skills to become confident, brave and independent problem solvers.  Students will enjoy the hands on activities  learning the skills to be their own best friend,  using positive self talk, as well as learning to reward themselves with simple free activities.