This spring, approximately 150 second-graders, teachers, parents, police officers, business and organizational leaders, even a representative from Sen. Richard Lugar’s office, gathered to participate in the first Bully Busters Bowl at Lawrenceburg Primary School. 

School social worker/guidance counselor, Tisha Linzy, worked with kindergarten through second grade students throughout the school year on having good character.

The bully prevention activity was the brain child of Linzy. This educational competition between the classes modeled a game show theme. Linzy began and implemented a bully busters club for the second-graders at the start of the 2011-12 school year as a preventative measure and ended with the fun-filled, activity that included school, family and community.

The Bully Busters Bowl featured all second-graders working in class groups, answering specific questions referring to what they “would” or “could” do to combat bullying, disrespect, unfairness or cheating.

Each group was assigned a mentor from the community to discuss their question or situation and then returned to the microphone to respond to a question or scenario that involved using valued character traits.

Three rounds of questions were posed, and as questions became more difficult to determine “what would you do,” groups reached out to invite hometown heroes and care givers to join their huddled groups in the middle of the gymnasium for additional support and advice. 

Dearborn County Superior Court No. 1 Judge Jon Cleary, Superior Court No. 2 Judge Sally Blankenship and Principal Tammy Gregory scored each class group’s answer on a score of one to three with superintendent Karl Galey in the position as scorekeeper. Linzy was the event emcee, and resource coordinator Shawn Lighter was time keeper.

In the end, the winning class for the first Bully Busters competition was Allison Keim’s class with mentor  Mark Knigga, and in second place, Margaret McGranahan’s class with mentor Del Weldon.

Linzy was overwhelmed with the support of the event that encouraged students to work together while using good character and critical thinking skills to problem-solve real life dilemmas. 

This activity also reinforced the protocol that children should reach out to their own school staff, peers, family and trusted community members such as local police and firefighters for help when needed, and to combat bullying.

Special thanks is extended to Lawrenceburg Police Department Sgt. Nick Myers and officer Brian Potts; school nurse, Ruth Thomas; former state representative Bob Bischoff; Mark McGranahan; Dottie Crosby; Carrie Combs (DCSD); Craig Beckley (Heart House); Margie Kleier (Lawrenceburg Public Library); Greendale Fire Department and Lawrenceburg Fire Department members; Terri Dilliard (Community Corrections); prosecutor Aaron Negangard,; veterinarian Dr. Steve Hubbard; attorneys Del Weldon and David Zerbe; Jasica Robinson of CMHC’s Directions; Suzzi Romines of Prevent Child Abuse; Mark Knigga (school board member); E.G. McLaughlin of United Community Bank; Mark Doud of Lugar’s office, LPS teachers, staff, parents and student singers from Rooms 208 and 203.