Spirit Team members at Carl J. Lamb School in Sanford, shown here with principal Sherri Baron, talked Tuesday about what they’d learned in the Boston vs. Bullies program that wound down earlier this month. Fourth- and fifth-grade students at Carl J. Lamb and Willard schools took the five-week program that features Boston sports personalities discussing bullying and how to handle it. TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune
SANFORD — If you ask a fourth- or fifth-grade student in the Sanford public school system just what bullying is, and what it isn’t, they can tell you.
Because of a program called Boston vs. Bullies that engages young people, through videos made by famous sports figures, along with classroom activities and scenarios, youngsters have learned skills in recognizing bullying, and how they can cope. They’ve learned tips on how to deal with a bully, how to stop being a bully, and what to do if you’re a bystander.
Boston vs. Bullies was developed by the Boston Sports Museum and debuted in 2013. Sanford is the first school district in Maine to take part. Across New England, there are about 350 schools that use the program, mostly in Massachusetts, but also in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and at least one school in the mid-Atlantic state of New York, said Michelle Gormley, the education director of the Boston Sports Museum. The program is free to schools; the Boston Sports Museum funds the costs through an array of sponsors.
All fourth- and fifth-grade students in Sanford public schools took part in the Boston vs. Bullies program that teaches students about bullying. The Sanford School Department is the first in Maine to take part in the program. TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune
In Sanford, the program was presented to 470 students in fourth and fifth grades at Willard School and Carl J. Lamb School. The program, presented once a week over a period of five weeks, finished up just after the December school break.
Students at Carl J. Lamb School say the program helped them figure out what bullying really is — defined in Boston vs. Bullies literature as an ongoing, intentional abuse of power used to hurt someone.
Members of CJL’s Spirit Team, a group of fifth-grade students, talked about what they’ve learned and their experience on Tuesday. The Spirit Team is a volunteer group that gives up recess time to conduct projects, plan for Spirit Week, or in this case, talk with the news media.
Meadow Jopling said she’d noticed a difference since the program was introduced.
“There’s less bullying and drama,” she said.
Spirit Team member Ava Hudson said she felt the “cool thing” about Boston vs. Bullies was the people in the videos, like Boston Celtics and Patriots players, talking about bullying.
“They’re people you look up to and it makes it more impactful,” she said.
So what can one do if being bullied?
Students recommended they confidently and calmly tell the bully to stop, walk away, treat the bully with kind words, or tell an adult. Bystanders can tell the bully or the victim to walk away, tell the bully to stop, and again, tell an adult.
The bully can stop their behavior, apologize and ask for help on how to refrain from bullying others, according to Boston vs. Bullies literature.
Boston vs. Bullies came to the Sanford School Department through the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, which works to better Maine through sports. Maine Sports Hall of Maine board member Daryl Fort said organization members think the anti-bullying program can be used to help improve communities. He said he observed how the program worked in one of the schools in Massachusetts and thought it would be a good fit for Maine.
“We asked around the state, and Sanford was ready,” said Fort.
Merilee Perkins of Shapleigh, also a Maine Sports Hall of Fame board member, agreed. She said that bullying happens every day, in sports as well as day-to-day life.
“We hear so so much about bullying and I think the youth themselves recognize it as an issue but maybe don’t have the voice they need to make adults and peers aware,” said Perkins, who is also senior program director at the Sanford Springvale YMCA. “This (program) kind of puts everyone on the same playing field.”
Results of a June evaluation by Boston University show that students feel the Boston vs. Bullies program is working. Evaluators surveyed 612 students in grade five from various Massachusetts schools. Results show a majority of students felt the program was helpful, more than 80 percent felt there was less bullying in the classroom and 80 percent said after taking the program things were better for students who were bullied. Students were tested before the program and afterward. The report shows a decrease in the number of students who had reported they were targets of peer victimization from 74 percent to 67 percent.
Carl J. Lamb Spirit Team member Austin Berube said he’s noticed there seems to be less bullying — and he can speak from experience.
“I’m not getting bullied anymore,” he said.
Sanford Assistant Superintendent Steve Bussiere said the district had been examining their bullying programs already in place but wanted to try something different.
“The students we see in our schools struggle with knowing how to treat each other with respect,” he said “We were looking for something more engaging and relevant.”
Superintendent Matt Nelson contacted the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and got the ball rolling.
Bussiere said he visited a classroom to observe one of the presentations in November and was surprised at the level of engagement by students.
The assistant superintendent said the district gets reports of teasing, students being unkind to each other and aggression that can lead to bullying.
The district is working on the climate and culture of the schools from kindergarten through grade 12 to make it more welcoming and a place where kids feel safe, he said.
“We hope kids say ‘this gave me skills … to stand up against bullying’,” said Bussiere.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
