Children's Home Boys Stand Firm Against Bullying(as seen in the Reading Eagle)

Wearing lime green T-shirts, the 50 or so boys living at the Children's Home of Reading stood side by side and read an anti-bullying pledge during a recent pep rally.

In booming voices, they vowed to "stand up" against bullying, not simply stand by.

Part of the pledge reads: "I think being mean stinks. I won't watch someone get picked on. Because I am a do-something person, not a do-nothing person. I care. I can help change things. I can be a leader. In my world there are no bullies allowed."

The Children's Home has not had an increase in bullying reports. However, administrators said they believed that creating an anti-bullying campaign was a proactive way to address the issue and its effects, which have garnered national attention in recent months.

"As an organization, we take bullying seriously," said Vincent J. LaSorsa, president and chief executive officer of the Children's Home. "It's a critical issue that affects the kids."

Interest in the issue began when clinician Phyllis Lawler showed the video "Bullied," which is part of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program, to a group of boys this past fall. The boys then discussed bullying: whether they had been the aggressor, victim or bystander.

Noticing an interest, administrators decided to address bullying in an educational and entertaining way.

The first step was hosting a kickoff pep rally in December that included talks from staff members and community members, as well as the pledge. The boys all wore the anti-bullying T-shirt, which features the words "Stand Up" in blue print, to represent unity, said Mindy McIntosh, development coordinator at the Children's Home.

In the coming months, the Children's Home will have monthly discussion groups that focus on bullying, additional pep rallies to keep morale high and special T-shirt days. The main goal is for the boys to break the cycle of bullying, make speaking up a habit and seek positive resolutions to bullying.

"The crux is we want them to be a do-something person and say 'I will not stand by.' We're focused on that," said clinician Kristin Huntzinger. "When they live here, it's our own little community, but we hope that they take this with them wherever they go next."

Boy Scout Troop 125 Update

Being a Boy Scout teaches camaraderie, loyalty, and success; therefore, it is no surprise that Troop 125, CHOR's Boy Scout troop, has inspired the boys. The Boy Scouts continue to work on earning merit badges, in order to obtain more of the 122 merit badges needed to become an Eagle Scout. Troop 125 is currently working hard toward earning three new badges: Public Speaking, Woodworking, and Disability for Awareness. Jason Raines, Residential Service Director, and Carrie Hehn, Scout Master, aid the boys in accomplishing their goals.  Earning these badges allows the boys to work hard individually and together. They actually get to see their completed projects which is rewarding.

Troop 125 is a club that is open to all the clients at CHOR. The Boy Scouts meet throughout the week to work toward their merit badges. The highest rank that is currently represented in the troop is a Star, which is only three ranks away from an Eagle Scout

CHOR Educational Update

Well, we have managed to get through the holiday season and are now looking forward to the second half of the school year.  The CHOR education programs have some exciting initiatives during the upcoming months geared to expand and improve the quality of educational services provided as well as meet State educational standards. 

First, we have applied for a license to be a private school for both special education and regular education students.  Currently we are operating as a private provider of educational services but do not meet certain requirements to be a licensed school.  In order to comply with regulatory standards, one of the areas to be addressed is our physical building characteristics, needing to comply with ADA standards.  We have renovations scheduled for the spring of 2011 and anticipate completion by mid- summer.   With these renovations, we will secure an E-Occupancy required for an educational institution which will allow us to provide services not only to our residential students, but also to the community.

In addition to the building renovations, the education department is looking to introduce technology to the classrooms which will enable the teachers to individualize the student experience and to more effectively educate the residential clients.  With the use of laptops and new educational software, the education staff will be more effective at determining the educational needs of our students, measuring and monitoring student progress toward state standards,  and ultimately making education a rewarding experience for the children we serve.  

We hope that you share in our excitement as we are continuously attempting to improve the services we provide to children and families.  If you have any questions about the education programs or initiatives, please contact Ron Spitz, Vice President of Programs at 610-478-8266, X: 433 or via email at rspitz@childrenshomeofrdg.org.