Standing up for Charlie Brown

Though one blogger thinks Charlie Brown movies send the wrong message, Patch's mom columnist disagrees.

Last week while watching the news I saw a story featuring a blogger who believed that Charlie Brown specials, starting with but not limited to, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” should be retired from television. His opinion centered on the fact that the name calling and teasing throughout the Charlie Brown specials was nothing more than bullying and that, “Charlie Brown is supposed to be the hero, instead he is kicked and demeaned at every turn, even by the adults giving out candy.” In addition the blog goes on to criticize Snoopy’s World War II “flying ace alter ago” as being inappropriate for young children. Ok, before I go any further I need to make very clear I am not coming out in favor of name calling, bullying or violence. I …

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Jim Stratton

9:54 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Snoopy is a World War I pilot, not WWII. Otherwise, I agree completely.   more ›

Tewksbury Middle School Students Energized After Anti-Bullying Conference

Seventh graders at the Wynn Middle School presented anti-bullying strategies to the Assistant Principal and members of the Friends of Rachel Club.

Wynn Middle School students who attended "Stand Up 2011," an anti-bullying conference in December at Northeastern University presented projects and strategies to students and Assistant Principal Geraldine Cummings at the “Friends of Rachel” meeting on Thursday afternoon.  For the last five years, the PAC at the Wynn has sponsored a beginning-of-the-year assembly during which 7th-graders are introduced to Rachel's Challenge, and 8th-graders are reminded to keep Rachel's legacy alive, according to 7th Grade Guidance Counselor Kennan Daniel. “The club begins meeting shortly thereafter and continues to meet every other week after school to help promote positive social change in school,” she said. The club is one of the most popular in the …

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IMAGE GALLERY: Michael & Marisa Perform Ant-Bullying Concert at Ryan School

Teenage brother and sister rock duo perform for elementary students.

(Editor's note: The following article is based on information submitted by the Ryan School PAC.) They are barely older than the audience they played to, but when brother and sister pop duo Michael and Marisa cranked up the volume and rocked the gymnasium at the Ryan School this week, they might have well have been Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. The 5th and 6th graders at Ryan went wild, dancing, shouting, singing and waving their arms. The event was sponsored by the Ryan School PAC. Michael and Marissa, born and raised in Boston, recently released their new song, “The Same”; a song penned by Michael and Marisa with LA music producer Peter Zizzo (Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton) which tackles the bullying issue head on. The pop duo, …

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