StageNotes.net and SchoolTube.com are extending the message of National Bullying Prevention Month (October) by encouraging K-12 educators to join forces with classes across America in taking the No Snap Judgments Pledge as a strategy to put an end to violence in schools!No Snap Judgments was initiated by the producers of the Broadway and national touring productions of The Addams Family and inspired by the magnificently macabre characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams including Morticia, Gomez, Lurch, Uncle Fester, Pugsley, Wednesday and Grandma.
The downloadable No Snap Judgments pledge and an Interactive Learning Module is available on StageNotes.net, an educational resource featuring Broadway. The Learning Module is free and provides grade-appropriate background materials inspired by the show with supporting media, as well as digital lesson plans and projects for K-12 students on the topic. Designed by instructional technology specialist Karen Mack, with input from seasoned K-12 educators throughout the country, the module is aligned to the National Common Core Learning Standards and accessible through any Internet connection.
Students taking the No Snap Judgments pledge promise to "be a respectful and positive person... to celebrate the differences among my friends, family, teachers and peers...be more accepting of each person...and make no snap judgments" about them.
"It is time for character building to be an integral part of our lessons and the arts are an engaging and thought-provoking vehicle to accomplish just that," says Ms. Mack, national education spokesperson for the program. "The Addams Family: No Snap Judgments learning module infuses everyday classroom activities in core subject areas with character developing discussions and learning experiences that challenge not only the bullies in the school-yard, but the 85% bystanders who passively watch that bullying take place."
SchoolTube.com is supporting the campaign by providing the No Snap Judgments Channel, (http://www.schooltube.com/channel/nosnapjudgments/) a central place for teachers to post videos of their students taking the pledge and/or other creative works by students that promotes respect for others.
"Bullying is an important problem that affects countless students across the country," said Marshall Roslyn, Director of Business Development at SchoolTube. "We at SchoolTube believe that by using digital media to educate students on the lessons of tolerance, The Addams Family: No Snap Judgments campaign will help reduce bullying in schools and we are proud to be working with StageNotes.net and the broader Broadway community on this program."
About StageNotes.net
StageNotes.net, an authorized educational resource for Broadway productions and their national tours, is designed to help K-12 teachers integrate the theatre and performing arts into Common Core Standards-based curriculum utilizing today's readily available technology tools. Its mission is to help inspire creativity in the nation's classrooms and promote life-long learning through the arts by providing teachers with innovative lesson plans and direct access to artists and industry professionals.
About SchoolTube
SchoolTube enables K-12 students, teachers, schools and parents to create, share and discover user-generated and professional video content through a safe, secure online community that is teacher-moderated and endorsed by leading education associations. SchoolTube videos are currently being shared in thousands of schools across the United States and more than 100 countries worldwide.
About The Addams Family
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. This magnificently macabre new musical comedy is created byJersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and Olivier Award-winning director/designers Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter) with production supervision by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks. In addition to the Broadway and national touring companies, upcoming productions are slated for Brazil (March 2012) and Australia (March 2013). For more information please visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com and http://nosnapjudements.org.
