FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 23, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
Whitestone school gets lesson on stopping bullies
Vallo Transportation recently promoted
its fi ft h anti-bullying awareness campaign
entitled No Bullying Zone. To celebrate
this milestone anniversary, the
company increased outreach eff orts in
the community and hosted a special bullying
prevention presentation at J.H.S.
194 in Whitestone.
Th e presentation featured national
anti-bullying speaker Tom Th elen,
author and founder of the Victimproof
Bullying Prevention Program, a curriculum
that helps kids speak up to bullying
and become a positive infl uence at
their school.
“A new study by the U.S. Department
of Education shows that 30% of sixth
graders experience bullying on a regular
basis,” said Tom Th elen “And by the
time they reach 12th grade, that number
is reduced to 15%, which is still way
too high,” he said. “If we’re ever going
to reduce bullying, we have to give kids
practical skills for how to handle it and
how to get help.”
During the event, City Councilman Paul
Vallone presented Vallo Transportation
with a Proclamation acknowledging the
company for successfully creating awareness
of bullying prevention and highlighting
the benefi cial resources found
at www.StopBullying.gov throughout the
community.
“Bullying in schools has been and
continues to be a serious issue that has
damaged, oft en irrevocably, the lives
of so many children and their families.
Awareness and education are critical tools
in addressing the issue,” said Vallone.
Nearly 1,000 students from J.H.S. 194
participated in the special presentation.
Bullying prevention is a topic the school
regularly promotes. Th is event helped
reinforce their message of promoting a
non-bullying environment.
Vallo Transportation’s outreach eff ort
more than doubled this year by distributing
thousands of anti-bullying materials
in the community – the focal point being
connecting with students. Special bookmarks
and silicone wristbands are given
to students, both of which are encouraged
to be used and worn during the entire
school year.
Th e bookmarks include a pledge that
asks students to: respect each other,
refrain from bullying behavior and speak
up to help a classmate if he or she is being
bullied. Th e campaign is designed to
highlight the resources available through
www.StopBullying.gov, a comprehensive
website with student, parent and educator
portals that include targeted facts, information
and resources regarding bullying
and cyberbullying.
“As we commemorate fi ve years of
implementing this anti-bullying campaign,
I’m proud to announce that to date
we’ve delivered this important message to
over 10,000 students and members of the
community,” said Linda DeSabato, president,
Vallo Transportation. “Our plan is
to continue raising awareness of bullying
prevention among students, and we will
continue to partner with the education
community, elected offi cials, law enforcement
and other groups on outreach initiatives.”
Nominate your favorite teacher for a ‘Big Apple Award’
BY ANGELA MATUA
amatua@qns.com / @AngelaMatua
For the sixth year in a row, the city is
asking the public to nominate a teacher
who goes “above and beyond to serve our
students and families.”
Th e Big Apple Awards is a citywide
program started by the Department of
Education to recognize educators who
have positively impacted their students
and community. Last year, 7,800 teachers
across the public school system were
nominated.
Th e citywide community nomination
period, which will end on Nov. 27, asks
students, families, administrators and
community representatives to nominate a
teacher. Th e DOE is especially interested
in nominations for educators who teach
grades 2, 7 and 10, and also teachers of
special education and English Language
Learners.
Aft er this community nomination period,
a group of 1,000 nominees will be
invited to submit an application that will
be reviewed by a DOE committee.
Th en, up to 250 nominees
will be chosen to
move to the district-level
selection stage. Th is
stage will include an
interview and/or classroom
visit by the school’s
superintendent team.
Superintendents will
choose up to two fi nalists
per each school district
to move to the fi nal
round and a Board of
Judges will choose the
winners.
Next spring, recipients
will receive a visit
from Schools Chancellor
Carmen Fariña, who
will honor them with
the award. Winners will
serve as Big Apple Fellows and will meet
monthly as part of the Chancellor’s
Teacher Advisory Group. Educators will
be able to discuss best practices and
education policy and receive leadership
development.
Last year, special education teacher at
P.S. 199 in Sunnyside Patrick Murphy,
was one of several teachers to win a Big
Apple Award. Murphy brought a Lego
robotics program to the school several
years ago and inspired several students
to consider engineering careers.
He also created a school wide website
and trained fellow teachers on how to
use Google Apps for Education.
“I have never met a teacher that exhibited
such understanding and care for
students,” one parent told the DOE.
“You can tell Mr. Murphy truly enjoys
teaching and works hard to make a difference
for his students.”
To nominate a teacher for the Big
Apple Awards, fi ll out the nomination
form online at https://www.surveygizmo.
com/s3/3850310/2017-Big-Apple-
Awards-Nomination-Form.
Photo courtesy of Instagram/nycschools
Parents and students can nominate a teacher for the Big Apple
Awards through Nov. 27.
Photo courtesy of Vallo Transportation
Pictured with JHS 194 students are (left to right): Elizabeth Yarmy, 6th Grade Dean; Motivational
Speaker Tom Thelen; Council Member Paul A. Vallone; and Linda DeSabato, President, Vallo
Transportation.
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