'Words Count'

M-W Middle School to feature anti-bullying speaker on Nov. 29 CENTRAL VALLEY — Monroe-Woodbury Middle School is continuing its anti-bullying awareness efforts with a student and evening parent programs called “Words Count,” on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Mark Brown’s Emmy-nominated “Words Count” program is part of a national outreach program focusing on the dangers of bullying and cyber-bullying and is sponsored by QSP, the educational fund raising arm of Time Inc. He will speak to all three grade levels during the day and will offer a special parent-specific program at 7 p.m. at the middle school. “His presentation is not geared to just middle school kids, it’s geared to all kids,” said Joseph Colo, one of the school’s assistant principals. “This is part of our continuum on anti-bullying. He does a great job and he’s just so engaging.” A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Brown came to the United States at age 18 with only $40. After a brief career at as systems analyst with Reader’s Digest, Brown became interested in public speaking and made the career change after surviving a life-threatening illness. A QSP representative recognized Brown’s positive effect on young people and suggested he speak to a few student groups. He now works full-time for QSP as its community relations manager. As a winner of the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking, Brown invokes pop culture, jokes, vocal impressions, sound effects and songs from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in his presentation to grab students’ attention about tolerance, respect and the value of relationships. Brown’s presentation also addresses cyber-bullying, a growing problem where teens use the Internet to inflict pain on their peers. Officials said Brown’s “unique style and tell it like it is approach prompts students to take a hard look at the roles they play (bully/victim/bystander) and encourages them to actively build a culture of respect within their school and community.” “Our words, our attitudes, our actions become our weapons,” said Brown in a recent interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, unkind words can break my heart - and there is no surgery for a broken heart.” Colo encouraged district parents to attend the evening program. “It’s an amazing 40-minute program,” he said. “You’ll feel changed. You’ll want to talk to someone you said something inappropriate to and apologize. He just touches all levels, which is unusual for a speaker. You’ll find yourself having an introspective look about how you live your life.” - Nancy Kriz