We Have a Situation...

A bully situation.

Now not nearly as bad as we've seen in the news lately, but when it's my little boy being bullied, I'm going to be angry no matter the severity.

There's this kid, Bryce, in Noah's class. He's a smart kid, they both go to Target (GT) together and Bryce barely beat Noah in the class Representative race. I guess Bryce probably sees Noah as his biggest competition.

Well last week Noah mentioned to me that at recess they were playing football, Noah was the qb, on the 4 yard line, he said hut but his line didn't move (that was the designed play, lol) and the defense rushed. Noah prides himself on knowing rules and enforcing them, the most annoying characteristic of an 8 year old but he is his father, I can't change him. So Noah proceeds to tell them that that's offsides, 5 yard penalty, touchdown. He's wrong on a technicality, but Bryce doesn't know that. Bryce then "bans" Noah from playing anymore.

WHAT? Apparently the football is Bryce's so he gets away with banning kids from playing if they beat him.

I let this one slide, even though this kid is now on my "list."

Then on Monday when I pick the boys up from school Noah tells me that Bryce threw snow balls at him twice that day. Once walking into Target, and again walking out. I ask him if it hurt... yes. I ask him if he was doing it to be mean or funny.... I don't know. I ask him what did Bryce say?... I'm going to hit you with a snowball. Boys are not the most informative creatures.

Now I'm getting seriously ticked.

Then on Wednesday Noah tells me that Bryce's newest thing is picking up snow in his hand, and slamming it into Noah's chest, acting like it's funny. He tells me that it doesn't bother him because it doesn't hurt.

Then this morning (Thursday) Noah comes up to me, obviously nervous, and says "Yesterday I helped Bryce get a higher score on his AR test."

Ok, now I'm furious. I ask why and he says that if Bryce didn't pass it he would miss recess and then they wouldn't have a football. I stay calm and explain to him that that is cheating, and that he and Bryce would both go to the principal's office if the teacher caught them. He obviously understood because he almost immediately said his head was hot and he felt like he was going to throw up. Tell tale signs of a nervous little boy :)

So now what do I do? I want to talk to the teacher so bad, but I'm afraid if Bryce finds out that he'll be even meaner, and I don't want to scare Noah from telling me things like this again in the future. Noah was in tears this morning, afraid that I was going to tell Jeff and that he would call the school. Of course that wouldn't happen, he's only in 3rd grade and it's just an AR test. The cheating isn't even the issue. It's that Bryce seems to be running the show and kids like Noah are paying the price. I'm so thankful that Noah doesn't punch Bryce in the face like he would do to his brother if Max even THOUGHT about throwing a snowball at him. But at the same time, it breaks my heart picturing Noah just walking away.

Before I dropped the boys off at school I told Noah that Jeff would not call the school, but that I was thinking about emailing his teacher, not to get anyone in trouble, just to make sure Mrs. Terrell knows what's going on, if she doesn't already know. I called Jeff and he said just let it slide this time but if it happens again that we'll say something.

I don't know....