It’s Cool to Be Kind at Assumption School

Assumption School The staff and students of Assumption School, in Morristown, New Jersey have shown us that they are Better Than That! We were honored to perform two assemblies, one for grades K-4 and a second for grades 5-8.

When asked, “Who do you know who wears a cape?” the students at Assumption School didn’t reply with the typical superhero, they replied with the names of their peers and classmates who stood out by choosing to be kind and heroic.

Assumption School This was a first for us at Wear The Cape and we could not be more proud! The students of Assumption School embraced the mission of Wear The Cape by showing us and others that it’s “Cool to Be Kind.” They promised to be heroic and BETTER THAN THAT, both in school and in their daily lives.

After the assembly, three students approached us to thank us for coming to their school. They said they loved the message and were excited to use the strategies we taught them. We were touched and honored to hear how well our message of kindness is being received.

Please email leighann@wearthecapekids.com for more information or to book an assembly at your school.

Week of Respect Assembly

Wear The CapeToday we presented our first HERO assembly for the Week of Respect 2019. Wear The Cape Visited Lawrenceville Elementary School, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. We were greeted with lots of smiles and high fives from the LES students and staff. During our program, students were able to identify the many ways that they can be a hero by being BETTER THAN THAT(tm) and vowing to Wear The Cape every day, both in school and outside of school.Wear the Cape

Students chanted, “Heroes always help,” while they all sported their very own super hero poses. They participated in exciting role plays, and were touched by our Cape Kids showing how they Wear The Cape, in our Cape Kid video segments.

Ms. Melissa Wall, LES school counselor, was a hero to her staff and students when she wrote and won a grant to bring Wear The Cape to her school. “I am so excited to have your program at our school!” she exclaimed when we first spoke. We are honored that Ms. Wall chose our program to use for her grant!

We thank you, Ms. Wall, and all the staff and students at Lawrenceville Elementary School, for allowing us to bring our HERO assembly to you as the first assembly of the 2019 Week of Respect.

If you would like to bring a Hero Assembly to your school, please email leighann@wearthecapekids.com

Protecting our Children Online

Protecting our Children OnlineYesterday I received an email from my son’s elementary school principal informing parents that the school had an online safety presentation for their fourth and fifth grade students.  When asked how many of the students had spoken to someone whom they knew was a stranger online, about half of the children raised their hands.

WOW! That is scary!

As parents, we have been instilling the life lesson of “Stranger Danger” in our children from the time they were toddlers.  “Don’t speak to a stranger,” “Never get in a car with someone you don’t know,” and other important rules we implore our children follow to keep them safe.

Yet, HALF of these nine to eleven year olds admitted to talking to a stranger online. Mrs. Smith, Principal at Angelo L. Tomaso School in Warren, New Jersey urged parents to help by stating, “We need to work together to remain informed, diligent, and ahead of the game to guide our kids through their world of social media.”

Another abuse of social media is Cyber bullying. I’m curious as to how many of those fourth and fifth grade students would have raised their hands to indicate if they have been bullied online – or how many Middle and High Schoolers?

Our First Lady has pledged to work toward putting an end to bullying on social media. Mrs. Trump states, “We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.”  (usatoday.com).  As parents, it is our job to teach our children this better way.

Keeping our children safe is paramount, both on and off-line. We need to help our children navigate technology, which includes video games, social media, and online chat rooms, in a way that will help, not hurt.

Below we have listed several ways to talk to your child about online safety. It’s never too early to discuss these strategies with your child. Openly talking with your child on a regular basis is key to keeping your child safe.

Discussion Topics for Online Safety:

  • Make the real World /Cyber World Connection: Instruct your children that if it’s not permitted in the “real world” it should not be done in the “Cyber World” i.e.: sharing personal information, making fun of someone, showing inappropriate photos of self or someone else.
  • Protect your Privacy: Never share your personal information online, including age, address, phone number, birthday.Allow your child to understand that he/she must tell you if someone is asking for this information online.
  • Know When to Let Go: Let your child know that if he/she is uncomfortable with anything presented online, it is encouraged to immediately leave that site and inform a parent or teacher.
  • Be Approachable: It is extremely important that your child understand that you are there to support and help him/her with any and all online issues. Allow your child to feel comfortable and secure when telling you details of online play.
  • Online Play to Stay: Create a list of rules with your child to help him stay safe online. Include sites and topics that are “green light” – can be used without adult guidance, “yellow light” – an adult needs to be present/an adult needs to be called to review and “red light” – sites and topics that are not to be viewed or discussed.

Online safety and Cyber bullying are topics discussed during our Hero Assembly. For more information about our program, please email leighann@wearthecapekids.com