Rotary Club of the Lowcountry partnered with Beaufort Country School District who worked with Beaufort High’s Performing Arts Theatre Group to put on an assembly that every 6th grader in Beaufort County was invited to attend.  Beaufort Middle, Lady’s Island Middle Robert Small’s Middle and Whale Branch Middle Schools all attend presentations at Beaufort High’s Performing Arts Center.  The Theatre Group put on thought-provoking skits and involved the students and the teachers. Beaufort High’s Theatre Group and Rotary Club of the Lowcountry then traveled to Bluffton Middle and Hilton Head Island Middle to put on the same presentation.  The teachers were in attendance at the assembly as well since they are seeing some of these bullying behaviors taking place but unaware of the really harm being caused and may be turning a blind eye to the situation. The program was designed for the teachers to take action, let the victim know they don’t have to tolerate being treated this way, encourage bystanders who see something to say something and to let the bully’s know that this sort of behavior is not to be tolerated.

Rotary Club of the Lowcountry distributed anti-bullying activity books and bookmarks to each student as they exited the assembly.  The school district also had the Rotarians distribute arm bands that had an anti-bullying message and telephone number listed in case they wanted to speak with someone outside their school.

Last year, the drama group performed in front of all the 6th graders in the entire school district, at the Rotary District 7770 Conference in Myrtle Beach, and at the Zone 33 Rotary Peace Symposium in North Carolina.
 
For a clip of the skits, see the link below:

http://youtu.be/R8ORw964ZcU

Check out their article in Bluffton Today:

http://www.blufftontoday.com/bluffton-education/2013-10-27/students-spread-anti-bullying-message-beaufort-county#.Unf1DJTk_hU

 
Beaufort High Theatre Group

Cast of the Beaufort High Theatre Group and Beaufort County District personnel.