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| 'Blooming Buddies' present anti-bullying message |
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| Lynda Jo Gross/Daily Sun News |
| Clowns
Oochie and Toodleoo teach Artz-Fox elementary students how to sprout
confidence, with the help of students Jessie Ortega (center left) and
Daisy Leon (center right). |
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By Lynda Jo Gross
MABTON
- Artz-Fox Elementary School students were in for a treat this past
Friday morning when Kaleidoscope Konnections made its way to Mabton to
present a humorous anti-bullying assembly.
During the 45-minute "Blooming Buddies" assembly featuring three
clowns, seeds of respect and caring for others were planted in the
children.
The presentation included music and
skits, with topics ranging from picking on the new kid in school to
standing up to bullies and avoiding gang members.
In one song, students were taught five simple steps to sprouting
confidence: standing tall, taking a deep breath, holding heads high,
smiling and saying hi.
The clowns also taught
the kids how to handle anger in a skit entitled "Growing Friends." The
youngsters were encouraged to stop, take three deep breaths, slowly
count backward from five to one, think about something nice and use
words to convey that nice thought.
"Words can
really hurt," explained Oochie the Clown, otherwise known as Maureen
Mould, founder of Kaleidoscope Konnections.
According to her website, Mould's organization is dedicated to offering
fun and motivating presentations that teach and encourage.
Throughout the presentation, Sassy the Clown continuously portrayed
herself as the bully. Following a song called "In the Middle of the
Muddle is Me," Sassy told her new friends Oochie and Toodleoo that she
felt scared at home when her parents fight.
"I
have feelings inside me, they get all mixed up in a muddle," she said.
"Do you think that's maybe why I'm mean?"
When asked the question, the elementary students let out a very big "yes! |
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