I felt honored to have the opportunity to speak at the Glacial Hills Elementary school in Starbuck, MN, on Wednesday May 20 about long lasting impact of bullying. The audience included students (and teachers) from grades 3 through 6.
The following is an excerpt from the school’s website:
“Glacial Hills Elementary is a parent and teacher driven, public, tuition free school that embraces technology and the natural resources in our area. GHE offers small class sizes and provides an educational environment that focuses on experiential learning. This has allowed the school to consistently stay within the top tiers of academic growth for Minnesota schools. Students study the history of Lake Minnewaska, explore animal habitat at Glacial Lakes State Park, visit area farms, and participate in a residential learning program at LutherCrest”.
I am always amazed at the interest demonstrated by students of these ages. They pay attention throughout the presentation and always have a number of interesting questions. It was a rewarding experience. I admire schools that take a proactive approach like this in talking to students about these critical matters. If these young students are exposed to discussions of this nature they are certain to develop a thorough understanding of what bullying can do in the long run. The important thing is that these discussions must continue as the students move up to higher and higher grade levels. This, I believe, is the only way we can get rid of bullying in schools.