Second graders at a Central Texas elementary school are learning how to be a buddy and not a bully.
The "Be a Buddy, Not a Bully" anti-bullying awareness campaign was piloted by H-E-B at Williams/Ledger Elementary School in Copperas Cove.
The event took place between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
"I learned that if you bully somebody, they won't play with you outside or they might not talk to you anymore," second grader Jaelah Bynum said.
H-E-B kicked off it's Buddy League program at a Copperas Cove elementary school early Friday morning.
All of Williams/Ledger Elementary second graders participated in anti-bullying activities sponsored by H-E-B.
The children crumpled up pieces of paper and squeezed toothpaste out of tubes before being asked to make them like new again...
"Basically it kind of told the children what you say matters because once it's out there you can never really get it back, even though you apologize," Tim Smith, General Manger of H-E-B Plus in Copperas Cove, said.
Over the next few weeks, 2nd grade teachers that are part of the Buddy League program will be observing their classes and nominate one student for the H-E-B Buddy League Student Advocate Award.
One lucky kid will win a $50 savings bond along with other prizes, and his or her teacher will win $100 for school supplies from H-E-B.
"When kids have an environment to where they feel safe, they're not threatened, they learn better. And I feel like starting with the bullying concept and helping them to understand how they can impact that positively will help them to be better students, not only themselves but to other students as well," Smith said.
The motto of the H-E-B program is "be a buddy, not a bully."
The store employees also brought H-E-Buddy, the program's mascot, to meet the kids.
"It's not cool to bully, it's cool to be a buddy," Bynum added.
Copyright 2017 KXXV. All rights reserved.
