The future’s so bright, these fifth-graders from Circleville Elementary School have to wear shades!

And now they’ve got them, thanks to Kevin Allen, a certified prevention educator from ADAC (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council). Mr. Allen gifted cool sunglasses to each fifth-graders for completing the 10-week program, Too Good For Violence.

 

Mr. Allen worked with the students, building on the previous week’s lesson and focusing on building good character, social-emotional growth, and respect for themselves and others.  

The students also worked on goal setting, reducing stress, anger management, decision making and appropriate role models. They spent time on conflict resolution and bullying.

 

 

“Our SEL (social-emotional learning) enhances the SEL they have on a daily basis here in school,” said Mr. Allen. “It goes hand-in-hand with that message.”

The students certainly respond well to it. When asking or answering questions, the students state their names, they look Mr. Allen in the eye and address him by name and talk in full sentences. He insists and they abide.

This particular lesson, the students did an exercise where they asked their classmates and the adults in the room about volunteering, strategies about staying positive and learning from mistakes. It encouraged them to talk to people they may not know as well as others.

 

 

Mr. Allen comes with a lifetime of experience in the field. He spent 30 years with the New York City Department of Education as the Prevention Education coordinator.  

This program the group just finished, Too Good for Violence, promotes character values, social-emotional skills, and healthy beliefs of elementary and middle school students.

At the end, each student received a certificate for completing the class satisfactorily.

 

 

Going around Susan Corcoran’s classroom, the students shared what they learned and what they liked most about the program. Here’s what they offered:

• I learned how to set goals.
• I learned how to stop bullying when I see it.
• I liked the games we did that taught us more about what we were learning.
• I liked meeting Mr. Allen and learning the program and that being the bigger person is important.
• I learned how to stop conflict.
• I learned not everything is a competition.
• One of the most important lessons from Mr. Allen: “Holding grudges in your head and heart hurts you more than the other person.”

For more information about ADAC, go to http://www.adacinfo.com.