Why do some students bully each other?
Students from Reynoldsburg's Hannah Ashton Middle School, along with students from Groveport Madison Middle School and Hamilton Middle School, have worked since February to answer that question by writing and producing short films that discuss diversity and bullying.
Hannah Ashton's film, Different, was shown with films from the other two schools April 21 at the Gateway Film Center on the Ohio State University campus.
Hannah Ashton sixth-grade language arts teacher Renee Coley said the students worked with KIDSConnect, an after-school program sponsored by the Educational Council in Columbus, to produce the films.
"Middle school students have two qualities that make them perfect for a project like this -- brutal honesty and energy," Coley said. "They tend to see people and situations for what they truly are and they will let you know exactly how or what they think and feel."
The film is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=soX9J_xP4rU&app=desktop.
Coley said 17 Reynoldsburg students were involved in making the film -- six fifth-graders and 11 sixth-graders. The sixth-graders were in her language arts classes and the fifth-graders were in the Achieve After 3 program with Kiddie Academy.
She said the students worked with KIDSConnect coordinators Dianna Molla and Emiliya Akopyan.
"I was impressed with how prepared the students were when it came to providing their costumes and having their lines memorized," Coley said. "They filmed their scenes in one afternoon, then Molla and Akopyan took the film to OSU Buckeye TV for editing."
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Watch the video