Living the Message...
Honoring those who show Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love
City
C ity of Mc Keesport News
N ews
cKeespor t
Respect
At Twin Rivers Primary/Intermediate School, where students make
a daily commitment to the ROAR principles of being Responsible, On
Task, Always Safe, and Respectful, fourth-graders are enhancing that
pledge with anti-bullying message.
In Ed Camic’s class, students Brooke Cain, Madeline Cherepko,
Jenna Cottom and Brooke Evans started a campaign they call, “If we
stick together, we can stop bullying.” The girls used duct tape to make
creative posters that give students a chance to stick their names to
a poster in the school hall as they pledge to play a role in ending
bullying.
Brooke C., Madeline, Jenna and Brooke E. all say they’ve been bullied
in the past, and they don’t like the way it feels. They also don’t like
seeing their classmates fall victim to bullying.
“If someone’s being mean to you, you don’t have to be mean
back. That just keeps it going like a cycle,” Jenna said. “If just one
person stops, it can make a difference. Age doesn’t matter. Even a
kindergartner can help stop this (behavior).”
After a recent assembly by the anti-bullying act Josh and Gab,
the girls shared their poster with fellow students. They encouraged
students to be nice to one another, to find alternate solutions to their
problems and to seek adult intervention if situations get out of hand.
Brooke C., Madeline, Jenna and Brooke E. said students should
treat others the way they wish to be treated as a sign of respect for
their peers. They want to break the cycle of bullying by being kind
and choosing respectful language, even when they don’t agree with
someone.
“If you’re nice to a bully, your attitude might rub off on them,” Brooke
C. said, “Bullying doesn’t make anyone happy – not the victim, and not
the bully. We want people to be happy. We want them to know what it
feels like to be nice.”
Retired educators Ted and Mary Jane Kirby
are fixtures in the McKeesport community.
As a loving couple with a background in
education and a long history of community
involvement, the Kirbys are committed to the city’s future and the upbringing of
its youth.
Mr. Kirby enjoyed a 33-year career as an English teacher at McKeesport Area
High School, and continued working in the district as a substitute for seven years
after his retirement. He has had an active coaching career – guiding McKeesport
Area students through football, basketball, cross country running, and track and
field.
Mrs. Kirby’s career of four decades in adult and youth education spanned years
with Allegheny OIC, Clairton City School District, McKeesport Area School District,
Pittsburgh Catholic, the Urban League of Pittsburgh, and Auberle.
The Kirbys, who have been married for 42 years, have two children and two
grandchildren. They are active with their family and their community. Their
volunteerism includes service with the NAACP McKeesport Unit, Zion Baptist
Church, Partnership for Minority HIV/AIDS Prevention, Community Coalition,
McKeesport Area School District Diversity Committee, McKeesport Neighborhood
Initiative and the McKeesport Joint Task Force.
They spend much of their free time counseling first-generation college-bound
students through the application process, including admissions, scholarships and
financial aid. Drawing from a Malcolm X quote that “education is the passport to
the future,” Mrs. Kirby said mature generations must invest in modern youth.
To the Kirbys, living with dignity means making positive choices without
succumbing to peer pressure. Today, they use their life experiences to mentor city
youth and teach children of all ages to learn from their mistakes.
42 McKeesport Area