Steelers, Boyce Middle Take Part in Dignity and Respect Day

Some fifth graders at joined a live video conference with Charlie Batch and Ryan Mundy of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Batch and Mundy teamed up with the UPMC Center for Inclusion for the Dignity and Respect Campaign, which provides a positive way to counter the negativity of bullying.

During the event Tuesday, students interacted with about 2,000 students across Allegheny and Beaver counties, including the , Steel Valley, , West Allegheny and Gateway school districts.

The video conference began with a kids rap about treating others how you want to be treated. After a brief presentation, Batch was introduced and sat amongst a sea of children in the Barrett Elementary gym, where he once attended.

Mundy also joined the video conference at his former alma mater, , where he sat in a classroom with students with autism.

Students from different districts took turns asking Batch about bullying, dignity and respect.

"I hate bullying because it accomplishes nothing," Batch said.

Batch told the kids he was once bullied in elementary school—before he got bigger than all of his peers. He said the key is communication; He told kids to never fight and to talk to their parents, teachers and principal.

Batch also answered questions about football. He said that losing the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers lit a fire underneath the Steelers and his favorite teams to play are Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Batch also told kids the player he had the most respect for is James Harrison because he wasn't drafted and fought to become the defensive player of the year.

Carol Brinkhoff, a teacher at Boyce, organized the students' participation in Tuesday's video conference. She said there has recently been a lot of anti-bullying education happening at the school.

"It's good for the kids to hear the message from someone else," Brinkhoff said. "It means a lot more coming from Charlie Batch."

Editor's Note: The Upper St. Clair School Board voted in favor of a revised harassment policy on Monday night. According to Superintendent Patrick O'Toole, the revised policy better explains how a student can report an incident and the steps that should follow.