Crone Students Learn to Take Pride in Themselves, Others

Tossing a ball of yarn back and forth, the students shared something about themselves, then something about other students in the group. As the yarn was passed, a web was created among the students. The web symbolized how, though the students may be different, they all have things in common and are connected to one another.

Students from attended a special program this week at , where they participated in a team-building and anti-bullying program.

Groups of students spent time off-site each day for PRIDE Day activities. With more than 1,200 students at , about 300 students attended each day. Teachers, administrators and parents were in also in attendance during the week helping to facilitate large- and small-group activities.

Al Davenport, ’s principal, said that the program came to be after the school’s psychologist presented material showing how a high school did a challenge day, where some students participated in a team-building program with the goal of those students going back to school and sharing what they learned with their peers. decided to take a similar approach modified for middle school students but which included all of the students.

“We thought it would be a good way to kick off our anti-bullying program,” he said Wednesday morning. Rather than only having a few students involved “we would do it with the whole school, sending a clear consistent message and team building.”

The school promotes its Panther PRIDE: Panthers Respect Individual Differences in Everyone and the program was in keeping with that motto.

The school put together activities to demonstrate what it means to be a Panther and to take pride in that, said Autumn Desiderio, assistant principal at the school.

“The students are learning, respect for others, recognizing bullying and recognizing the impact it can have on people,” she said. 

During each PRIDE Day, the students were split into groups and participated in a variety of activities, including the Web of Sharing in which students tossed a ball of yarn back and forth, first sharing something about themselves then sharing something nice about another student.

One group of students participating in the Web of Sharing learned that a student wants to visit Paris, another likes programming computers and a third loves food — any kind of food. The students also shared positive things about others in their group, including that one student was really creative, another a hard worker who is always on time, while another was told that she always apologizes after she does something wrong.

“We hope the kids will develop the way, and if they see bullying, to try to stop it,” Davenport said.

At , when it comes to bullying, Davenport said it usually revolves around “he said, she said” and rumors that are started and spread, sometimes on Facebook.

“We are trying to be proactive,” he said.

Parent Mary Beth Stevens was in attendance. She has a seventh-grade son at the school, she said.

“I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “Children may not realize what they are doing and saying can impact another so much.” 

She hopes that the program helps make students more aware of their surroundings and how their actions really impact others, she said. 

“What we say and do really makes a difference,” she said.