We have been working on a play in the classroom about my puppet Alex who is having trouble at school with a new girl who just happens to be named Goldilocks. She is calling names and throwing things on the playground.
Alex has appealed to Mr. Brown for help.
This is what I have so far, if anyone has any suggestions:
Mr. Brown’s Bully Bystander Play
Mr. Brown: Goldilocks, I hear that you are throwing sticks on the playground and being mean to the other kids. You seem like such a sweet girl. Is this true?
Goldilocks: Well they were mean to me first.
Mr. Brown: How so?
Goldilocks: Well, they wouldn’t let me play with them.
Mr. Brown: What were they playing?
Goldilocks: They were playing freeze tag!
Mr. Brown: And they said you couldn’t play? That doesn’t sound like the students I know.
Goldilocks: (shrugs) “well not exactly. I wanted to play with April, but they were so fast and I couldn’t catch them and so I kept getting tagged it, and it was so hard to catch them! And they don’t understand me anyway.
Mr. Brown: What do you mean they don’t understand you?
Goldilocks: Well, at my old school everyone was mean. They were always picking on me. Bullying me on the playground. Chasing me off the slide, pushing me off the swings, stealing my ball on the court.
Mr. Brown: What did the teachers say?
Goldilocks: They just let the bears do whatever they want.
Mr. Brown: Mmmmmmm.
Goldilocks: One of them ate my porridge! And one of them broke my chair and said I did it! My mom was so mad! She roared and roared for days!
And they’re so slow! They take forever to do their math, and reading! Seriously. I could read Harry Potter before they got through the Bernstein Bears Learn The ABC’s. I could read it in French!
Mr. Brown: My, my. It sounds like you might be struggling to make some friends. Are there any students you like at this school?
Goldilocks: I like April. And there’s a little monkey named Alex who’s pretty nice, sometimes.
Mr. Brown: Have you tried to play with them at all?
Goldilocks: Mmmmm sort of.
Mr. Brown: How did that go?
Goldilocks: Well, they didn’t really like me. They think I’m strange.
Mr. Brown: Why do you think that?
Goldilocks: Well, my hair is this weird color, you know.
Mr. Brown: You think they don’t like your hair?
Goldilocks: It’s gold you know!
Mr. Brown: That doesn’t sound like the students I know. I don’t think they would not like you just because your hair is an original color.
Goldilocks: Well, they walk too close in line. They are trying to step on me.
Mr. Brown: The students step on your feet in line.
Goldilocks: Well, no. Not exactly but almost. They’re just trying to get me in trouble with the teachers.
Mr. Brown: Why are they trying to get you in trouble?
Goldilocks: And that monkey Alex, he’s always bouncing all over, nobody ever gets mad at him! I guess the teacher does tell him to walk in line, but as soon as her backs turned he’s bouncing all over.
Mr. Brown: Goldilocks, do you recognize this book?
(holds up Parent-Student Handbook)
Goldilocks: That’s our school mascot the Eagle on the cover so it must be the School Handbook.
Mr. Brown: Correct and right here inside, on the very 1st page it states:
It is our mission to build into our students:
- a solid and practical foundation in Reading, Writing and Mathematics;
- to develop in our students a strong sense of responsibility toward themselves and the whole community;
- and to provide our students with a safe and secure environment in which to reach these goals.
It also states:
Successful students take responsibility for their own learning and behavior. They make appropriate choices about what to do as well as how, where and when to do it. Every
decision creates a consequence. Responsible students learn from these consequences. They refrain from making excuses or blaming others for their own choices.
Please discuss with your children the importance and need for responsible behaviors and
3 attitudes. The responsible qualities and behaviors we expect to see in students attending Olney-Bissell School fall into these categories:
1) Is on time
- is in the classroom and ready to pay attention in a timely manner
- hands homework in on time
- gets in line promptly and orderly
- organizes to be on time for bus, recess, lunch, dismissal, etc.
2) Comes prepared to learn
- brings necessary/appropriate materials for class
- organizes desk, locker, materials
- has drinking water available if needed
3) Works at learning
- optimistic
- self-motivated
- focuses on and completes tasks without reminders
- uses time productively
- pays attention/listens actively
- follows directions
- manages impulsivity
- curious and reflective
4) Respects rights of self and others to learn
- raises hand, waits turn to speak, doesn’t interrupt others, engages in
- appropriate physical contact (hands and feet stay in own space)
- cooperative and considerate
- communicates and socializes effectively (verbally and non-verbally)
- cleans up after self
- takes care of materials (yours, the schools, other peoples)
- participates in learning activities
5) Asks for and receives support
- takes initiative to ask for support
- receives support when it is offered
- respectfully communicates needs, struggles, frustrations
- accepts consequences of behaviors
Mascot Name and School Colors:
Bissell School mascot name is EAGLES.
Well you recognized the mascot. I knew you were smart.
Do you know the school colors Goldilocks?
Goldilocks: Blue and gold?
Mr. Brown: Correct, the school colors are blue and gold. Isn’t that interesting your hair is one of the school colors?
Goldilocks: MMmmm… I never thought about that before.
Mr. Brown: Maybe when you are in middle school you should run for school council?
Goldilocks: In middle school? Do you think I will still be here then?
Mr. Brown: Why wouldn’t you be?
Goldilocks: IDK, I’ve been to a lot of schools. I might be living in the city by then. We move around a lot, so it doesn’t really matter if I make friends because I probably won’t be here for a birthday party anyway. And I don’t even really care if Sara had a birthday party this weekend and I wasn’t invited. Parties are stupid anyway. I had the coolest idea for a present she really would have liked it. You see it was made of:
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