Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • Playgrounds Make a Great Place for a Play Day
  • Critical Lightning Detection
  • Rules of the Red Rubber Ball Book Review
  • 3 Overlooked Benefits to Building a Playground in Your Community
  • Play Spaces for All Abilities

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. The ten basic principles of being a VNP

The ten basic principles of being a VNP

Playground
March 01, 2006
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
395

If you haven’t heard about it, it’s time you did. A VNP is a Very Nice Person, and it’s the latest help for bullying in schools and on the playground. Dan Potter and Bracken Johnson, the bully from Napoleon Dynamite, have been traveling the Western United States spreading the word that it’s just not cool to be a bully. They visit middle and high schools with the message and offer 10 key ways to prevent bullying. They just finished part of their tour through Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Potter and Johnson have even gone so far as to author a book they now give to each school they give their presentation too. The Secrets of Being a VNP for Students, which contains a chapter on each of the ten secrets, is given to the school along with a song that has been written expressly for the program. A CD of the song and full-color VNP certificates that can be printed out are also given to the school. These can be presented to students qualifying as the VNP of the week. Students can watch for peers who are demonstrating one of the VNP secrets and report that student’s name to the office for consideration. At the end of each school week, the office will decide which student was a good example to others and is a VNP.

Potter and Johnson are enjoying their kindness tour and hope to help change some lives along the way. They are well received by the younger set and adults alike as they also give an energetic corporate presentation for professional development. “Dan was very entertaining, and did a great job at handling 500 middle school students while keeping them engaged. The kids had fun, but learned valuable lessons at the same time. The students did get a big kick out of Bracken, meeting him and he had good ideas to add to the presentation. We appreciate all the curricular materials as well and will put them to good use,” notes Nancie Castro, principal of Excelsior Middle School in Byron, Calif. Visit www.veryniceperson.net or call 661-252-5141 to find out where the VNP tour is headed next.

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
Published 17 years ago
Last updated 2 years ago
395
1
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About Playground

May 01, 2001
Playground

If You Build It... They Will Have Fun

Playground Magazine
May 01, 2009
Playground

The California School Playground

David Spease
Mar 30, 2014
Playground

Shady Lane Park - A new era of playground design forges memories for the whole family

Anne-Marie-Spencer
Sep 14, 2018
Playground

Exploring the Latest Trends for Outdoor Play Structures

Kacey Mya
Jul 21, 2014
Playground

Memories from the playground are a lifelong treasure

Anne-Marie-Spencer
Sep 21, 2016
Playground

The Coming Age Of Bespoke Play

Jay-Beckwith
Oct 01, 2012
Playground

The Power of Play(grounds)

Lane Lindstrom
Jan 01, 2002
Playground

Great Rewards

Playground Magazine
Jul 23, 2019
Playground

9 Things You No Longer See on Playgrounds

Justin Osborne
Mar 27, 2014
Playground

How Design Relates to Play

Jay-Beckwith
May 01, 2007
Playground

Design Cozy Spaces into Your Playspace For The Little People

Jean Schappet
Mar 20, 2015
Playground

State Playground Licensing Requirements

Playground Magazine

Playground Professionals

Slides n Stuff
Slides n Stuff
Manufacturer
More
Backyard Fun Factory
Backyard Fun Factory
Manufacturer
More
ABC Recreation
ABC Recreation
Sales Rep
More
GameTime
GameTime
Manufacturer
More
Hunter Knepshield
Hunter Knepshield
Manufacturer
More
Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground
Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground
Sales Rep
More
Imagination Playground
Imagination Playground
Manufacturer
More
T.F. Harper & Associates LP
T.F. Harper & Associates LP
Services
More
Coastal Park & Recreation
Coastal Park & Recreation
Services
More
Maryland Materials Playgrounds
Maryland Materials Playgrounds
Sales Rep
More
Service Supply LTD, Inc.
Service Supply LTD, Inc.
Sales Rep
More
Play Environments, Inc.
Play Environments, Inc.
Manufacturer
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions