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Greetings from StopBully.com and Bikers Against Bullying 212. As the school year progresses, it is always refreshing to uncover a new perspective and approach to the issues and concerns that appear forefront in school communities across our country. Bullying is one of those ongoing concerns that need attention, direction and a fresh proactive approach. Over the past years from all across Alberta, we have been listening to the stories and concerns from parents’ perspectives. The message has been very clear and consistent. As a former school principal, I find myself passionate about this issue and excited to be able to present some very positive responses with clear directions. _x000D_
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Bullying is not a unique concept, although it is understood differently by different people. To get a unity in understanding, it must be taught, identified and directed as to the expectations to address it, not just in schools, but in life._x000D_
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I have the distinct privilege of representing the StopBully.com program here in Alberta. You may have heard of us, or seen us in malls, grocery stores, or motorcycle events telling about opportunities for motorbike give-aways as the number one source of our fundraising._x000D_
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We are a not-for-profit organization that utilizes the motorcycle club Bikers Against Bullying 212 to present the message of StopBully.com around Alberta and Canada. We are supported by several key motorcycle companies as they are 100 percent sold on what we do. We present the message of StopBully.com and bully awareness to school communities. As a former principal, I completely understand the difficulty it is to positively address bullying head on and to bring supports to both the victim and to the bully._x000D_
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StopBully.com has designed a reporting tool for the Smart devices present in your school community. This tool is an APP that is now available for free at the APP Store and Google Play upon setup with StopBully.com. We would like to set your school up to be able to utilize this within your community. The APP allows students to confidentially report bullying instances either as a victim or as a bystander. Your school staff would select key teachers to be the “trusted adults” in your school. All reporting is confidential, and comes only to those selected teachers. At this point, these trusted adults can meet and decide how to address the situation to support the victim and address the bullying individual(s). We as an organization, do not receive this confidential information, rather it is addressed and dealt with “in house”at your school only. You, as a principal are now left with a reporting tool that works, and can show your community that you have taken positive steps moving forward to address bullying. There is no charge for the APP or to for your school to be set up._x000D_
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If at future time, you would like to be visited by 212, Bikers Against Bullying either for a visit, a hang around time with bikers for students, or to bring support to a bullied student (such as a personal motorcycle ride with the group to or from school), this can be arranged and we would love to come again as a bigger group. In future years we would be pleased to return and share success stories with your school._x000D_
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My role in this is to come and do an initial presentation (about 45 min to an hour), sharing some of my background, 2 personal stories regarding bullying, and key points about the main types of bullying that are present in our society today. I would then teach about understanding Empathy which proven through the work of Michelle Borba, a globally recognized educational psychologist, is the number one character quality that is lacking in society today. A trait that needs to be taught, practiced and shared amongst our students in our schools. This model teaches students to learn to look for visual signs in others and identify ways to reach out and act in a positive, responsible manner. Students need to see the responsibility of prevention through the power of the bystander, or support to the victims of bullying. Along with this comes the realization that in addressing bullying, one needs to hand the controls over to the authority figures represented in your school community. I would do a small activity with the whole student body to assist them in helping remember the steps of Empathy._x000D_
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I will conclude my presentation by introducing the APP that StopBully.com has created for schools and showing your students how to easily use it to report situations in a confidential manner._x000D_
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