Cass 63 Foundation Grant Enables Day-Long Anti-Bullying Program at Cass Jr. High

Not too long ago, bullying began and ended with the school day, as students could retreat to their homes to escape the taunts and bruisings that torment so many children.

But between cell phone ownership and near-universal Internet access among tweens, bullies have developed new and at times even more hurtful tactics for attacking their targets far beyond the playground.

Principal Paul Bleuher said that fortunately his school has not yet experienced any major bullying tragedies such as the ones that dominate morning talk shows.

But in isolated incidents, he’s seen the way bullying is evolving and the devastating effect it can have on embattled kids.

“It’s really a challenge because the lines are blurred with what happens in school and what happens out of school,” Bleuher said. “We don’t allow cell phone or Facebook use at school, though we’re not naïve to think it doesn’t happen. But we deal with the aftermath of these incidents, sometimes on a daily basis.”

About a year ago, Bleuher saw anti-bullying expert Jodee Blanco on CNN. She impressed him with her multidimensional approach to bullying that empowers not only targeted kids but also those around them to identify the warning signs and intervene before bullying becomes too severe.

With the help of a grant from the Cass 63 Foundation for Educational Excellence, Bleuher is bringing Blanco to Cass on Feb. 8 for a full day of events.

During the school day, she’ll hold sessions for all the students at Cass and the third- and fourth-graders at . Then she’ll meet with teachers and staff in the afternoon, before presenting an evening session geared toward parents that will be open to the public. That session will be held at Cass at 7 p.m.

Blanco has written two books on bullying drawn from her own experiences as a schoolyard target. She’s presented her anti-bullying program, It’s NOT Just Joking Around, to more than half a million students, teachers and parents nationwide.

Bleuher said it’s crucial for parents to learn the signs of bullying because nasty text messages or Facebook posts can be so subversively vicious. 

“Not all parents realize their child is being victimized or bullied,” Bleuher said. “Bruising is easier to deal with because it’s one and done. But sometimes parents are naïve to the reality [of online bullying].”

Cass 63 Foundation board member Tracy Kohlsaat said that the group decided to award Cass a $3,000 grant to bring Blanco to campus in part because even in researching Blanco’s work, they found it eye opening.

“I learned bullying can be silence—that no one makes an effort to be welcoming to a new student,” Kohlsaat said. “Silence can make you just as guilty.” 

Bleuher also convinced the board to award the grant through his passionate support of character-building education, Kohlsaat said. Because the sessions will include students, parents and teachers, she said this was an opportunity to broadly address his goal.

“You can go both ways and turn the effects of bullying into a positive or negative experience,” she said. Blanco’s program will be one way to integrate new, positive energy into Cass’ existing character education program.

That program is Warrior Words, which Bleuher instituted when he became Cass’ principal four years ago.

Each month of the school year, Cass students aim to exemplify a different positive, character-related word. In February, appropriately, the word will be caring.