Reducing bullying, promoting mental
health, schools across the country are
trying to improve the emotional
well-being of students as KEZI 9 News
reporter Chris Lueneberg shows us. Some
officials in Lane County are hoping that a
new program with newborn babies and
their parents will make a difference.
The building blocks of an education ABC's, one-two-three's, and now something new.
The kids were all so excited they had
seen pictures of her, and heard about her,
each get to greet her, and sing her a
song. In this classroom baby Abigail is
the teacher, and the lesson is empathy.
The second she starts fussing, or uhm, you can
tell she doesn't prefer a certain toy,
they want to fix it, they want to help.
They all wanted to play with her so much.
It's called Roots of Empathy and it's a
program that will be in 30 classrooms
across Lane County this school year. The
goal is to use the parent-child bond to
get students in touch with their own
emotions, and those of others. According
to doctors these students are an
important part of their development, and
the lessons they learn socially, and
emotionally, inside these doors, can make
all the difference.
Pediatrician Pilar Bradshaw says schools
that already have this program show
reductions in bullying and negative
behaviors. Kids are in this age in the
early elementary school years, they have
identified, very strongly, their sense of
self, and now they're trying to
understand what human relationships
should look like. The lessons the
students are learning getting noticed by
parents. The day after the baby came he
laid out all his "stuffies" on his bed and
sang to them before school, and he
doesn't like to sing.
Empathy, a building block for a healthy
life. Yeah, I think it would be great at
every school. I'm Chris Lueneburg KEZI 9
News.
