TTT: 2013 - 2014

For the third year in a row, a small number of fourth grade students were selected to participate in a group called the Traveling Troupe of Thespians (TTT). This group was responsible for teaching students in grades kindergarten through fourth about bullying, the importance of accepting people for who they are even if they look, act, or think differently than others, and the importance of kindness. This year, the TTT consisted of four fourth grade students (one from each classroom), two of whom were boys and two of whom were girls. The students of the traveling troupe were willing to give up their recess time once a week for a number of months in order to brainstorm ideas and practice their presentation. During the month of June, the TTT began presenting to all twenty classrooms of students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade. The presentation involved a number of different parts, which are described in detail below.

1. The TTT began the presentation by introducing themselves and then read the book, Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell. While reading this book, the students acted out certain parts of the book, which discussed the importance of being yourself even when people make fun of what makes you special and different. Following the reading of this book, the TTT lead a discussion with the audience regarding the theme and message of this book.

2. Students were then shown the slideshow that was created last year consisting of staff members/teachers and community members. This slideshow focused on the fact that people are different in many ways and that there are many different types of intelligences in the world. After the viewing, the TTT led a discussion on the theme and message of the slideshow. If you would like to view this video, please go to the TTT: 2012 - 2013 webpage.

3. After this slideshow, the TTT acted out the book, The Exclamation Mark

, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. The traveling troupe members wore colorful t-shirts with punctuation marks painted on the front of these shirts to represent the different characters in the book. The book discussed the importance of accepting yourself for who you are and not trying to change to be like everyone else. The TTT then led another discussion with the audience following this book.

4. Finally, the TTT presented a music video to the audience, which was created by the traveling troupe as well as a number of other second and third grade students. This video encompassed the Pass It On theme introduced to the school earlier in the school year during the Kindness Connection (see the Kindness Connection: 2013 - 2014 webpage for more information). In the video, acts of kindness were passed from one student to the next until an act of kindness was done to the person who had started the kind deeds at the beginning of the video. The video was accompanied by the song, Happy, by Pharrell Williams. Feel free to view this music video above.