'You belong:' Greendale HS theatre brings anti-bullying message to grade schoolers

GREENDALE -- Teaching about acceptance and anti-bullying is a lesson best taught young. On Monday, March 9 Greendale High School students took on the teaching role.

Gavin Comiskey

Canterbury Elementary School students on Monday got a sneak peek at the musical Honk! The musical is based on the classic story of the ugly duckling.

"We're performing just a few songs to give the elementary school students a gist of what we're doing," said Gavin Comiskey, ninth-grader.

Ahead of their first full show March 13, the Greendale High School theatre students first wanted to bring the message straight to the younger students.

"At the beginning, all the animals are like, rude to the main character, but at the end, they find that everyone is beautiful in their own way," said Comiskey

"No matter what you look like, and no matter who you are, you have a place in this world and you belong," said Safia Ali, 11th-grader.

Safia Ali

It's a lesson Comsikey said he wishes he would have learned sooner.

"People can pick on each other, and it can happen quite a bit. I guess if we teach it to the younger grades, it can carry on to when they're older," said Comiskey.

Through song and dance, the Greendale students celebrate each animal's and each person's differences.

"There's like, always going to be someone that's going to love you," said Comiskey.

Greendale High School Spring Musical HONK!

Greendale High School Spring Musical HONK!

The students performed at three schools on Monday.

Greendale High School will perform the play March 13-15 and March 20 and 21.

CLICK HERE for performance dates and tickets.