Ten members of the Ansonia Football team and their Coach Tom Brockett came to Prendergast Elementary School to tackle bullying issues at the school.
Ansonia football players Dylan Vano, Tyler Williams, Tyler Wood, Hakeem Martin, Jake LaRovera, Elliot Chadwick, Matt Hill, Sean Rowley, Matt Stumpo, and Dennis Danley visited the fifth and sixth grade classes on April 7 to send a positive message to the students that bullying is not cool.
The players gave students tips for dealing with bullies, including tell an adult when you are a victim or a witness of bullying and to make sure that you treat everyone with respect.
Melissa Cook, Prendergast’s Behavior Intervention Teacher, and Meghan Geddes , School Counselor, organized the program by first meeting with the football players and providing them with training in anti-bullying strategies.
After seeing the players interacting with the students, Mrs. Cook said, “I am so impressed with these students. They made connections to the students and got their point across by using personal experiences.” Mrs. Geddes reiterated by saying, “It’s great that these players are doing this. We tell the students these same strategies, but now it is also coming from another source. These players did an excellent job!”
Having the football players speak to classes is part of a larger school wide anti-bullying program that utilizes peer mediation, behavior mentors, and student education about bullying.
“These programs, including the presentations by football players, are all working together to create a positive learning environment for all students. We are appreciative of the work that these young men have done in helping us toward this goal” said Assistant Principal Joe Apicella.
