School Bullying Council

<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 19
–>

Stuart M. Lederman, Esq.

President

New Jersey State Bar Foundation

S.J. Young Marines
get the boot

Yes, you heard it here. The South Jersey Young Marines have received notice from the Vineland Semper Marine Detachment on Landis Avenue that it will begin charging us $400 a month for rent.

Of course, the Young Marines are a nonprofit national organization and do not have the funds to pay rent, so why now? What ever happened to “never leave a fellow marine behind”?

I know the boys and girls enrolled in the program are not Marines, nor are they enrolled with the intent of recruitment to the Marine Corps, but nevertheless, they are sanctioned by the U.S. Marines.

Our Young Marines are devastated. This was their home. They volunteer on Sundays to help serve and cleanup at the detachment breakfasts and attend functions as needed.

What kind of sign does this send to them?

I know that the economy is tight and things are not as good as they could be, but this?

Just imagine if all the churches that have opened their doors to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts decided to tell them to start scouting for a new home unless they started paying this kind of rent.

The Young Marines meet two hours on Mondays, and don’t need much more than a small office or closet to keep our gear, an indoor area to muster and complete assignments, and some outdoor space to do the beloved “PT” and drill training.

Like our mission statement says, “To strengthen the lives of America’s youth by teaching the importance of self-confidence, academic achievement, honoring our veterans, good citizenship, community service and living healthy, drug-free lifestyles.”

Why wouldn’t you want to support this organization?

Thanks to the resolve and commitment of our commanding officer, Star Pickett, he has negotiated a temporary space at the Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland.

Thanks also to those at the veterans home as well for working with us, and you can count on us to continue volunteering there as well.

Perhaps if you are reading this and have these types of accommodations and could help, please contact us by going to YoungMarines.com and looking us up under the unit search.

Jon Gramp

Concerned Parent/Community member

Bridgeton

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions.

Our conversation starts today with a topic that all parents will deal with at some point: Bullying. Last week, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Patty de Garavilla presented the results of the fall bullying survey to the School Committee and the results indicated that Reading students are less likely to report bullying to an adult than they were last semester. So this week, we asked the Moms Council: How can you make sure your kids are comfortable reporting things like bullying to an adult?

Erin Calvo-Bacci

As a parent of three children I am certainly busy. I wanted to be a parent, it is my first responsibility and I am thankful for the opportunity. My job is to make sure my children have all their basic needs and when it is afforded we do indulge them within reason. As a parent, hearing the topic of bullying is as concerning to me as drug abuse is.

Bullying is an issue that can be altered by good communication and parental involvement. Bullying isn’t knew to the school community, but cyber use is newer. How can we expect children to communicate effectively about problems when we are encouraging them to abandon that skill set and replace it with texting plans? Yes, texting is fast and easy, but too often just like emails, the message is misconstrued and it should not be a replacement to communicating with your children. Technology is supposed to be an asset not a detriment. 

Negotiation is a true skill set and children learn it early on; yes, if you get ready for bed quickly, then I’ll read three books before bed. Yes, if you finish your homework right after school you can go to the game. Negotiations are an integral part of our lives, especially as a parent. 

There was an issue at one of my daughter’s schools and even though she was only eight, she was able to articulate and communicate effectively, but it did bother her and we needed to address it at home. I feel confident with my children that they would report an issue because we encourage open dialogues in the house, but as a parent I also have to be involved and aware and address any changes in behavior. It’s not easy, it’s work but it’s also my job as a parent.

Alicia Botticelli-Tarasuk

Bullying is a hard subject for all involved. It is not only hard for the child being bullied, it is very hard on the parents of the child being bullied. One would also think it is hard on the parents of the bully too. It is so hard to not over react and loose your cool when you hear of a bullying incident (especially when it is your child).  

I think in order for your child to want to talk to you and keep the lines of communication open you need to let them know that you are there for them, no matter what. Even if they tell you they did wrong it is how YOU react to it that makes the child want to tell you more in the future. Parents are the first line of defense for the kids.

http://reading.patch.com/articles/moms-talk-how-can-parents-make-sure-kids-report-bullying-687c8e7e