February 14, 2017
Last year, TFFT implemented Family Cells in order to better support all of our scholars and to help our staff respond to the individual ongoing needs of each scholar. Each family cell is made up of around ten scholars who attend school together and led by one of our team members. Family cell meetings provide a safe space for the scholars and staff to have free-flowing conversation about relationship building and self-expression while also participating in team-building activities and developing interpersonal skills. Discussion topics at these meetings center around the meaning of family and how unity and support will strengthen child development. In a recent family cell meeting, our team covered bullying, educating our scholars on what exactly bullying is and how to prevent it. We want to make sure that TFFT Scholars are happy while away at school.
During the meeting, our team described what bullying is and how it can start. Many children have been teased by a sibling or a friend at some point, which is not harmful when done in a playful, friendly way, if both children find it mutually funny. When teasing becomes unkind, hurtful, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying and must stop. They also explained that some reasons for bullying may include height, color, size, where one is from, how someone talks, and what one believes in. It is not the recipient’s fault. Bullying can cause serious problems, such as fear, stress, and sadness. TFFT is here to help and support our scholars. We want to educate them on how to handle these situations if they arise at school.
The team taught our scholars that they must take action and prepare what to say. Body language plays a significant role in talking to a peer, and confidence is key! Using a sense of humor can diffuse a situation. Avoiding situations in which bullying might arise is also important. The scholars participated in role-play to demonstrate how bullying can happen, what to do in a given situation, and how to mitigate it.
The family cell meeting also educated our scholars on the importance of telling a trusted adult including a school official, parent, or TFFT team member about any kind of uncomfortable situation. Children look to adults for advice and help on tough situations, and we want to ensure that our scholars know where to turn and how to handle an uncomfortable situation before it has any lasting implications. Our scholars enjoyed the role play activities and learned that there are many ways to beat bullying!