WATCH: Oh, Kmart!
Pamela Poole: Talk About a Choking Hazard! What I Never Expected to…
The pen is mightier than the bully
Filed under: Newborns, Toddlers Preschoolers, Teens, Health & Safety: Babies, Development/Milestones: Babies, In The News, Day Care & Education, Feeding & Sleeping, Baby-sitting, Research Reveals: Babies, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Behavior: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Gear Guides: Babies, Gear Guides: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Toddlers & Preschoolers
To say that middle school has been difficult for Olivia Gardner of Novato is like saying the Sahara desert is rather dry. It was so bad that after three different schools, her mother finally pulled her out and is homeschooling her. Olivia has epilepsy and when she had a seizure at school, the other kids called her a "retard" and dragged her backpack through the mud. Thus began the bullying that followed her to two other schools.Two sisters, Emily and Sarah Buder, from nearby Mill Valley, read about Olivia's plight and wrote to her. They also got their schoolmates to write to her. Then it really started to spread and Olivia started getting letters of support from all over the country and beyond. She got letters from kids and adults. Over a thousand strangers have written to her to share their support, including this one:
"Dear Olivia, I'm 60 years old and have lived in Marin County my whole life. When I was in the 5th grade I arrived at school and found a note in my desk signed by every girl in my class, except for my 2 closest friends, saying the most horrible things about me. ... Olivia, I hope it helps to know that others are thinking about you and have been through what you went through. Stay strong."
Olivia is doing better and has even joined the Buder sisters to give a talk at a program called Midway Cafe, designed to prepare fifth-graders for the social aspects of middle school, including teaching them about the effects of bullying.
Honestly, I'm amazed that this wasn't nipped in the bud -- there should have been some training done at that first school after the first incident so that it went no further. It's nice, however, to know that there are kids who will make the effort to help someone who has been targeted by bullies. I hope Olivia continues to do well. Kudos to the Buder sisters for getting this started.
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- Why should anyone listen to a _____, what makes her an expert? Harpo is jus an actress, all she does is sit on her tush & claim she knows it all. ...
- Why would the defendant file an acknowledgment of service instead of a defence?
- PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS AS TO THE ANSWER BY DEFENDANTS ______________________________. Plaintiff, ________________________ h...
RelatedVideos
-
Dr. Phil's Advice to a Workaholic Dad
Does your spouse constantly check work e-mails and texts, when he or she should be spending time with the family? Dr. Phil offers advice to one mom who says her husband is married to his work.
-
When Can Children Start Eating Solids?
Is your baby tired of eating mush at every meal? Pediatrician Dr. Jim Sears explains “the squish test” and gives tips on introducing solid foods.
-
How Do You Start the 'Sex' Talk with Your Kids?
When is the best time to have the sex talk with your kids? How do parents broach the topic? How do you keep from mortifying your children? How do you keep them from learning about the birds and the bees through porn?
-
Baby Bottles and Tooth Decay
Babies, bottles and bedtime seem to go hand in hand, but putting your baby to sleep with a bottle could harm his or her health. See how baby bottle tooth decay occurs and learn oral hygiene tips to prevent it.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
5-25-2007 @ 2:55PM
Leian said...This is an awful beginning yet a nice ending. There have been a lot of stories about bullies who have been put on parade and made to admit publicly how they have behaved. They should do that here, but that would take parental involvement...
One question though - who is the boy in the photo and what does he have to do with the story? Is it just that he looks like a stereotypical bully? (In which case, I'm not sure that's fair to him, as much as the stereotype may ring true...)
Just curious!
http://www.childofleisure.com
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 3:14PM
Lt said...One more reason to LOATHE public school. The problem is, with most things in life - you get what you pay for. Well....public school is free. And there you go.
No support. No one cares. And this poor little girl.....
Reply
5-26-2007 @ 12:08PM
rebecca said...LT: As a public school teacher, I LOATHE your gross overgeneralization. I am sure there are proportionally as many inadequate private schools, charter schools, and homeschools as there are public schools. I have taught in 4 different school districts and they all have had swift and sure policies in keeping bullying out of their schools. The school I am currently teaching at spends most of its "special speaker/event budget" on programs that teach (to adults and children)team building, antibullying behaviors, and programs that emphasize making good choices. In fact, the worst bullies I've had in my own classrooms usually come FROM a private school where they were no longer welcome and were shocked to learn that their behavior wasn't accepted at our campus either. After spending time at OCD (Off Campus Discipline - think boot camp) they returned much more willing to act according to acceptable societal norms. FOR FREE!
You, too can recieve the benefit from a great - FREE - public education! If you put your research where your mouth is! Having attended as a student 17 different public schools before graduating high school and then attending 7 different colleges on my way to an undergraduate and graduate degree ("Hi, my name is Rebecca, and I am a learning junkie!") I truly believe you get out of your education what you put into it, free or not. Parents are just as, if not more, responsible for raising bullies, as teachers are for letting them exist in the classroom.
From the tone of the article, LOTS of people care.
Climbing down from my soapbox now...
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 8:47PM
Uncle Roger said...The boy in the photo is the son of the photographer. The title is "Playground Bully", but if you want the full story, click on the picture. He's not a bully, but the picture seemed to fit the story. 8^)
Lt, private schools are no better. In fact, they're probably worse, at least until such time as the victim is kicked out for being a disruption.
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 9:00PM
Lt said...I have to respectfully disagree.
Reply