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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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| 4/14/2009 3:56:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article
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The Taproot Theater from Seattle came to Naselle. “Alexander the Dragon” is a play for elementary-age children about bullying prevention and friendship making. Not only were the actors entertaining with their performance, but the play also unfolds a bullying situation that can really happen. Children learn to: recognize bullying, refuse to be a part of it, and instruct bystanders to report it to an adult (recognize, refuse and report). They learned the way that you can tell the difference from playful teasing and bullying is that when the one receiving the teasing/bullying is not having fun too, or is feeling threatened, it becomes bullying and needs to stop. Actors in the back row (left to right): Solomon Davis, Adrienne Littlton, Laura Bannister, Charissa Huff and Peter Nolte. Students in the front row (left to right): Matthew Grunst, Ethan Lindstrom, Carson Bergeson, Bailey Bergson, Isabel Zimmerman, Mikayla Strode, Cameron Burch.
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Cyber bullying gets the boot among Naselle students
SEATTLE - Southwest Washington students learned the importance of treating each other with respect online when Taproot Theatre's Road Company visited Naselle from Seattle with its new educational touring play "New Girl."
With the widespread use of cell phones and social networking sites among children and teenagers, "New Girl" is aimed at preventing cyber bullying by educating youth and showing them the tragic results that sending or posting an insulting or threatening message can have. The play by Josh Hornbeck is one of three bullying and harassment prevention plays the group performed at schools at Naselle-Grays River Valley Elementary, Junior and Senior High schools on April 13.
Cyber bullying poses a real threat to people's welfare, as seen in the case of 13-year-old Megan Meier. The Missouri girl committed suicide in 2006, allegedly after being sent a cruel message by someone masquerading as a teenage boy.
The results of various studies show that cyber bullying has affected a significant number of youth - the "Stop Bullying Now!" part of the Health Resources and Services Administration Web site lists results of several studies, which show that anywhere from 7 percent to 36 percent of youth have been impacted.
In "New Girl," the impact of cyber bullying is explored through the lives of five high schoolers at Clements High - especially the new girl, Rachel, and an outcast, Edward, who becomes one of her first friends at school. "New Girl" traces the progression of insults and threats made to Edward as the school year gets off to a start, and the resulting downturn in his life. Edward gets the biggest blow of all when two bullies take Rachel under their wings and coerce her into joining their game.
The Road Company's current educational touring plays teach students about bullying and harassment prevention by utilizing principles from the leading curriculum on the topics: Committee for Children's "Steps to Respect" and "Second Step" programs. "New Girl" is recommended for students in sixth through 12th grades. The Road Company is also touring two plays for grades K through six: the new "Alexander and the Dragon," which teaches younger students how to recognize bullying and what their responsibilities are as bystanders, and the returning "Camp Super Friend," which teaches students how to make friends, work as a team and appreciate differences.
Taproot Theatre's Road Company has been touring dynamic social-issue plays to students throughout the Pacific Northwest since 1985. The Road Company reaches over 90,000 students each year with productions that address relevant social issues and provide youth with safe steps to approach them. In addition to the touring productions, Taproot Theatre provides teachers' with guides and resources to facilitate classroom discussion and increase the effectiveness of the message.
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