NIOS Casts a Film With 5th-Graders

Expanding their influence beyond Soledad High, NIOS has partnered with San Vicente Elementary School to create a video highlighting the importance of standing up to bullying and letting their voices be heard. The anti-bullying club has previously worked alongside this school, Frank Ledesma and others in the District. Using their informational presentations followed by a quick workshop, NIOS brings awareness to bullying, addresses healthy ways of dealing with problems, and encourages students to talk to their peers or an adult.

This school year the club has chosen to tackle a bigger project by casting Mr. Ceja’s and Mrs. Solorio’s 5th-grade students to star in a silent film. The film was inspired by a fellow NIOS organization from a different school; however, these Soledad students hope to capture how negative comments stay with an individual and eventually take a physical and mental toll. They are also hoping to portray how the support of just one person can make all the difference. The club’s decision to use elementary school students rather than high school students is no mystery, we see negativity and oppression at all ages -- NIOS simply pinpointed the beginning of this chain of events and made it their target. With recent political and overall public affairs across the country, the club’s project can also be said to grace these issues and the responses they may have sparked in schools.

The video is currently two weeks in the making and is estimated to be complete mid to late February. The club members, alongside their Advisor Mrs. Aldaco, have been brainstorming and piecing together ideas to make the film a reality for roughly a month or two. With the assistance and support of the staff at Soledad High School and San Vicente Elementary School, Not In Our School has been able to work and live up to their organization’s name as they change the social norm and create a positive environment amongst their educational system, personal life, and community.

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