Image Gallery: Fox Hill Teachers Dance Against Bullying

students were treated to a fun surprise during an assembly in the school’s gymnasium. Following a short talk with Principal Ellen Johnson on the students’ favorite parts of school and what they’ve learned this year about treating each other with respect and understanding, music suddenly began playing and suddenly teachers merged on center stage and began a special dance.

The kids were surprised but immediately began cheering as their teachers, each dressed in a "Be the One" T-shirt, started a well-coordinated high-energy dance to the Backstreet Boys' "Be the One." 

The message behind the 'flash mob' dance and the "Be the One" shirts was well-known to the students. Principal Johnson explained to Patch that this year all students in the school read "One" by Kathryn Otoshi. The story follows the trials of a Blue Dot that is being bullied by a Red Dot. The Blue Dot becomes so stressed it avoids the Red Dot in fear. The hero, the Number 1, tells the bully to "stop" and explains mutual respect and conflict resolution to the other colors. Once the Red Dot stops bullying, everyone embraces him.

"The message is if you see something happening that's not right, say 'stop,'" Johnson said. "The book teaches that people aren't going to take it and that nobody has to take being bullied. That's been our theme."

Johnson said the teachers began talking about doing some kind of school-wide event to emphasize the point, when someone suggested a dance. At first they thought they could put something together by the end of the year, but following some hard work they were ready for last week.

"The dance is to promote the theme of "Be the One," Johnson said. "It's a fun and exciting dance. It's a little unusual for a whole staff to come together for something like this."