Schools
Harding Students Learn To 'Be An Upstander Not A Bystander'
The presentation emphasized the "Five C's" of being an upstander. The first is the "Cold Shoulder" in which you ignore the bully.
From Lindenhurst Schools: On Oct. 9, the students of Harding Avenue partook in an interactive, antibullying presentation “Be an Upstander Not a Bystander,” led by arts in entertainment professional Mike Speirs. Through his interactive assembly, Speirs, a former teacher, provided students with practical strategies for addressing myriad realistic bullying situations.
The presentation emphasized the “Five C’s” of being an upstander. The first is the “Cold Shoulder” in which you ignore the bully. The second is “Confidence.” Speirs explained that you need the confidence to respond maturely and not stoop to their level. The third C stands for “Compassion.” You need to be willing to show kindness to those around you. “You may not always know the right way to help, but you can always try to be nice,” said Speirs. “Never underestimate how much that could mean to someone.”
Next the presenter encouraged students to use “Cyber Sense” and make safe choices when they are utilizing social media. Lastly, Harding students were urged to summon the “Courage” needed to step up and do the right thing. “It is not always easy to stand up and go against the crowd, but there are always people you can go to for help so you won’t have to do it alone.”
Photo courtesy of Lindenhurst Union Free School District
