Elementary school's new anti-bullying club making waves
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Five students in Sara Burgener’s fourth-grade class at Bottenfield Elementary School stood in front of a class full of fifth-graders and read a creed.
“I promise to never bully,” they said in unison. “I promise to be a friend.”
The creed, like the anti-bullying presentation they make to classes around the school and the keychains they hand out to students who decide to join the Anti-Bully Club, was created entirely by students in Burgener’s class, The News-Gazette reports.
In fact, Burgener said, students came up with the entire idea for the club. While neither the school nor the class are experiencing any bullying problems that are out of the ordinary, Burgener said, the students’ responses to classroom incidents was anything but normal.
“I have been the facilitator, but that’s it,” Burgener said. “Beyond that, it’s all been them, and that’s really impressive.”
The club began with three members: Cameron Croop, Holden Frederick and Colt Leman. Soon, Burgener’s entire class took up the cause. Holden, who enjoys making artwork in his free time, made posters to put up around the school that read, ‘I Want You to join The Anti-Bullying Club,’ and drew lines for fellow students to write names.
“Things started to take off, and we started to make sign-up sheets,” Holden said. “Whenever we went out into the hallways, there were more names.”
Holden also drew the logo for the keychains the club distributes to new members, although the entire class played a hand in the design. The class also came up with the creed, and they go to other classes to spread the word.
During one of those presentations, a student asked whether the club would continue after the end of the school year. Colt replied that he and his...