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Toronto Star
NEWS, Thursday, April 18, 2003, p. B05
Bullies
the Target of Puppet Show
Pair use music, characters to deliver message
Jim Wilkes
Toronto Star
Don't mess with the frog!
And don't bully other children.
That's the straight talk from a high-energy music and
puppet show making the rounds in Toronto elementary
schools.
It might be cloaked in sequins and spangles, but kids
get the message.
"It's not good to be a bully," said 7-year-old
Grade 2 student Vicky Liu, who watched the show yesterday
with classmates at Pleasant Public School in Willowdale.
"Being a bully isn't nice."
The performance is the work of Kid-Safe Productions,
a collection of stuffed amphibians fronted by Tricia
Myles Dutcher and Lucy Eveleigh, its two-human cast.
The company toured schools last year with a play about
child abuse and personal space.
Dutcher co-wrote Stop! That's Bullying! with former
cast mate Jen Radomsky to help children from junior
kindergarten to Grade 3 learn not to be victimized by
bullies.
It's all set against a musical background of choreography
and catchy tunes geared to wide-eyed youngsters. They
use Lily the Leap Frog, who sports a pink feather boa,
to show how to stay with friends, avoid fighting, be
calm and pretend they're not afraid of intimidators.
"I was bullied when I was young- I even had to
change schools because of it," Dutcher recalled.
"If I'd known a few of these things back then,
I don't think I would have had such a hard time."
Dutcher said she wasn't the only one lacking information.
"I went to a teacher and told her and she said,
'What do you want me to do?'
"I don't think parents always know what to do,
either," she said. "Some parents tell their
kids that the best way to deal with bullies is to fight
back.
"We're suggesting that fighting isn't the answer
and that it's better to learn other ways to defuse it.
"And the sooner kids learn that, the better."
Sandra Levin, Pleasant school's principal, agreed.
"This is a wonderful way to learn something in
a way they can understand," she said. "It's
much better than sending a memo home to parents.
"Bullying is a reality and we have our share of
bullies, too. We want to make sure kids are safe and
learn about peacefulness.
"It's an ongoing process."
Information about the program is available on the Internet
at www.kidsafeproductions.com. The address says things
that are valued include friendship, and "tons of
glitter."
Category: News
Uniform subject(s): Attacks, assaults and violence;
Children; Pre-school and Kindergarten; Students; Teachers
and non-teaching staff; Teenagers and young adults
Edition: Ontario
Length: Medium, 346 words
Copyright © 2002 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved.
Doc.: 20020418TS0GTVBK37O
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