Fall Sing! Empowerment the Message of Fall Sing at Arroyo Vista Elementary School

Songs focused on strength, safety and confidence

Young voices carried the message of “empowerment” on Friday morning as Arroyo Vista Elementary School shared in its wonderful tradition of song by focusing the annual Fall Sing on “strength, safety and confidence.”

Directed by Izzy Ebner, the high-energy performance by all students included a variety of songs, including: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Fight Song,” “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” and “It’s time.”

PHOTO: Bill Glazier | SouthPasadenan.com | Caighsi Currie top left singing away with her classmates at A.V.

Before each song, speakers were asked to provide a message echoing the theme. Among them were:

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“By now we all know bullying can be a very difficult thing for kids to deal with, both in and out of school.”

“Among middle school students, 24% are cyberbullied and 45% report being bullied on school property. Studies show the most effective way to end bulling is by teaching peers to stand up for the victim.”

“Statistics show that a school having inclusive anti-bullying policies, such as Arroyo Vista, significantly reduce both incidents of bullying as well as minimizing the after affects bullying can have on a child.”

“According to the Kind Campaign, up to 10% of psychological bullying is financially based. This means that those who have the most expensive clothes or the hottest toys are treated better than students who are perceived to have less.”

Special thanks were given Ebner, John Pettersson for coordinating the music and to Marty Freeman for providing the art, along with his decorating crew: Jayme Mazzochi, Natalie Rodriquez, Dunia Handy Gill, Cassandra Kaldor, Laura Wirth, M.J. Gravel and Aileen Miranda-Chan.

The artwork for the Fall Sing was a reflection of the children’s idea of empowerment – family, teachers, sports, art, math and, most of all, friends, “who make them feel safe and give them strength and confidence,” as described in the event program.

PHOTO: Bill Glazier | SouthPasadenan.com | Arroyo Vista Fall Sing 2017