By Scott Alfes October 2008

 I am Scott, an 8th grader  I’ve been to schools that use PBS and schools that don’t  I have Bipolar Disorder and Tourette’s syndrome  I am 13 years old  I love to cook, and I love animals

 To inspire you to use PBS  To tell you how great it was for me  So other kids don’t have to suffer  So I can be “famous”

 Up to 5 th grade, I went to schools that didn’t use PBS  For 6 th grade, I went to a great PBS school

 Easily depressed  Easily frustrated by schoolwork  Needed extra affection  Easily annoyed by other kids  Easily upset during games and competitive activities  Funny (not always in a good way)

 Teachers thought I was a brat  People thought I was “doing it on purpose”  I didn’t deserve to be in the school  I got kicked out of class for things I didn’t mean to do  I was a nincompoop

 A new me  Teachers understood me better  I was happier [I was never blue when I was with Mr. Green]  I was learning  I made friends  I bonded with the teachers  I wanted to try harder

Before  Grades: C’s, D’s, & F’s (Z’s if they had them  I felt … After  Grades: “A” Honor Roll  I felt …

Before  Reading: 4 th grade level in 5 th grade  I felt … After  Reading: almost 8 th grade level in 6 th grade (3 grade levels!)  I felt …

Before  Trouble communicating with teachers  I felt … After  Very easy communicating with teachers (Dodgeball story)  I felt …

Before  Behaviors: 2 suspensions & sent to the office 5 times/week  I felt … After  Phone calls home (Dodgeball Story Part 2)  I felt …

 Before I started at my new school, we had a meeting.  At the meeting… I did the talking I made a plan with the team I met other kids I agreed to go to school the next day

 Mr. Green and his Red Hand (Being blue never happened)  Even if I did something wrong, I felt the adults were trying to help, not get me into trouble  I felt supported everywhere so I had a better mood  A better mood meant …

Group Fall Activity Without PBS I felt like I would just fall with nobody standing there or maybe just 1 person to catch me With PBS it feels like there are 5 or 6 people there to catch you