Click here for PDF of Press release- Peyton Mall SHARK 9-17-14
Huntington Mall Launches Malls & Retailers Unite Against Bullying In Honor of National Bullying Prevention Month at Peyton Elementary School
(Barboursville, WV —-) The Huntington Mall has begun their kick-off for the upcoming National Bullying Prevention Month in October. In an effort to teach kids to be kind to one another, and to reject bullying behavior, Huntington Mall will launch “Malls & Retailers Unite Against Bullying” on September 17, 2014 at 12:30pm at Peyton Elementary School. The Cabell County Student Empowerment Team asked for the Huntington Mall to consider Peyton Elementary as a recipient of the SHARK Patrol Kit and the Huntington Mall was excited to do so.
The Huntington Mall will be presenting to the K-2 classes a complimentary SHARK Patrol Kit. In addition to the S.H.A.R.K. (Students Helping To Achieve Respect and Kindness) Patrol Kit, the Huntington Mall will be bringing a friend with them, Captain McFinn, to visit with the children as they create their very own undersea adventure with the help of a little paint, handprints, and a 10-foot ocean mural. The mural with the children’s handprints will be turned over to an artist to create for the school their very own ocean mural with sea creatures designed from their handprints. Once completed the mural will be presented to the school to hang on their wall.
What is the S.H.A.R.K. Patrol Kit?
This kit is a comprehensive bully prevention program for children vetted and endorsed by Dr. Michele Borba. It is a preventative program that is based on the principles of positive behavior support, ideas of right and wrong and positive moral choices. The program was designed by educators to promote positive childhood identities by fostering kindness and good friendship for children kindergarten through second grade. The components include:
- The Legend of Captain McFinn and Friends books ( one large and six small)
- Three full colored posters: Anti-Bullying Pledge, Bully Free Zone, Meet the Undersea Friends from the story series.
- Four puppets that include: Captain McFinn, Three-Tooth, Stank, and Tox—all characters from the stories.
- Treasure chest for classrooms to use as the centerpiece of the program. The chest comes with stickers that the children can use to decorate the box. Teachers will be able to fill the chest with items they deem appropriate.
- Reward stickers that read “I’m a Buddy” and a packet of “Caught Being Good” Stickers
- A Sing-A-Long CD: Come Along with the Friendship Band sing-a-long CD, which features engaging songs by the Captain McFinn characters, reinforcing the major themes covered in the lessons.
- Interactive APP/eBook download
- Teachers Guide
- Instructions on how to receive three free lessons on Identity and how to download the entire ten lesson catalog on Identity.
Malls & Retailers Unite against Bullying was born as an extension of an ongoing program for children, based on the lessons of Captain McFinn and Friends. The stories revolve around the underwater inhabitants of the fictional world of Sand Dusty Reef. Captain McFinn, their hero, is a black-tipped reef shark who used to be a bully. He has transformed into a hero, friend, and protector through the example of others. The stories teach powerful lessons about kindness, loyalty, honesty, empathy, and care for the world’s environment.
“Huntington Mall is participating in Bully Prevention Month to bring our community together and educate people about how bullying affects all of us. We view Huntington Mall as a social hub, and would like to use our platform to benefit the community and to strive to end the cycle of bullying behavior. With hundreds of people coming through our doors each day, we believe we can make a difference in many lives by supporting this cause.” – Margi MacDuff, Marketing Director of the Huntington Mall
Studies show that bullying causes serious social and emotional problems for children, including depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. Without intervention, bullies also suffer. As adults, they commit more crimes, use more mental health services and have a higher risk of alcoholism. Recent high-profile bully cases resulting in suicide have prompted schools to adopt stronger anti-bullying policies. Still, many situations go unnoticed, falling between the cracks of the most well-meaning program. It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students.
- 1-in-7 Students in Grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.
- 56% of all students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school.
- Bullying can take many forms but it usually includes the following types of behavior:
- Physical – hitting, pushing
- Verbal – slurs, put downs
- Indirect – spreading rumors and exclusion
- Cyber – harassment via texting or the internet
Media inquiries for more information, including high-resolution images should be directed to TJ Anzivino or Kasey Baker at (330) 747-2661 or kbaker@cafarocompany.com , or tanzivino@cafarocompany.com
Huntington Mall hours are Monday – Saturday 10AM-9PM and Sunday 11AM-6PM. The shopping center is located off of Route 60 and Interstate 64 at exit 20 in Barboursville, WV. For more information call 304-733-0492 or visit us online at www.huntingtonmall.com. Huntington Mall is owned and managed in association with Cafaro affiliated companies, based in Youngstown, Ohio. One of the nation’s largest privately held shopping center developers, the Cafaro organization owns and oversees more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate in 11 states. Founded by the late William M. Cafaro in the 1940’s, the firm is now celebrating over 60 years as a family owned and managed business.