Category: Kids at Risk (Winter 2008)

Rona Novick, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University and Clinical Professor of Child Psychology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Novick also serves as a senior mentor for the Hidden Sparks program, providing consultation to day schools and Yeshivot. She speaks frequently at professional conferences, and is the author of a book for parents, Helping Your Child Make Friends, and editor of the book series Kids Don’t Come With Instruction Manuals.

Read the accompanying article here.

The BiCultural Day School in Stamford, Connecticut, a co-ed, K-8 setting, with the motto Teaching Minds, Reaching Hearts, hoped to develop appropriate bully prevention programming for its upper elementary and middle school students. The principal had seen the Alliance approach successfully adapted in another school setting and reached out to the Alliance. Short-term (address immediate issues in fourth and fifth grades) and long term goals (infuse middle school students with concepts and spirit of social responsibility) were identified and a plan of action was developed. The Alliance would train key staff members in the BRAVE program (BRAVE, alternately represents the program name, Bully Prevention/Anti-Violence Education and its mission, Believing in the Rights and Values of Every student), building the school’s capacity to address social-emotional issues. Key leadership personnel from Bi-cultural attended a training institute at the Alliance where they networked with professionals from Jewish and public schools throughout the region.

To move from theory to practice, classroom teachers who would be called upon to facilitate two student workshops and on-going quality circles received a full day of training at Bi-Cultural. For the first year of the program, Alliance staff modeled the workshops, with teachers observing. In the initial mock-trial workshop, teachers were excited to see their students serve as lawyers for comic strip characters accused of bullying in the first or second degree, or as accessories to the crime. It was exciting for everyone to see the eager participation, but mostly to hear students’ fascinating post-trial discussion. Exploring the notion of power and responsibility, students were asked who has the power to change bullying when it occurs. The group heartily agreed with a classmate who responded – “we do!”

Faculty became more comfortable with the concepts and content of the program over time. Members of the administrative team continually explored ways to enhance the impact of classroom workshops, through literature selections and other curricular tie-ins. Wanting to share information with families, evening workshops were arranged, but were poorly attended. When a critical social issue developed in one grade, Bi-cultural administration decided to bring students and families together for an evening program. Activities allowed parents and students to experience social ostracism, consider social responsibility and learn the ramifications of their personal choices. Perhaps most critical, the evening opened a dialogue between parents and their children, and parents and their children’s school.

Bi-cultural continues on its BRAVE journey. The administration recognizes that lo alekha hamelacka ligmor velo ata ben horin lehibatel mimenah (you are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to therefore withdraw from it – Pirkei Avot, 2:21), and remains committed to addressing social issues. There is no doubt that faculty, administration, and families have both a deeper understanding of social issues, and their impact on children’s learning and development and the tools to serve as agents of positive social change.