Just a reminder that this Friday, November 14th, students and staff will participate in our annual UpStander Day!
What began years ago as an assembly program, being an UpStander and issues around bullying and other unkind behaviors that affect many young people is now an integral part of our Advisory Program. On the UpStander Day event, we approach this difficult topic from a different perspective, that of being or becoming an UpStander! As an extension of NYC’s Department of Education’s RESPECT FOR ALL initiative, it is our hope that students, staff, and families all take-away from the day, ways in which we can all work toward being UpStanders. Together, we will reinforce the school’s identity as a NO PLACE FOR HATE (a recognition from the Anti-Defamation League) school and more importantly, support those who may be on the receiving end of unkind words and actions.
On Upstander Day, regular student classes are suspended. Students attend school as they would. MS 447 will use this time to bring greater awareness to the roles we play in the treatment of others. As part of the day, each student will watch video/s that specifically speaks to the topic of bullying. Students will have pre-viewing and debriefing lessons and activities as part of the day and as an extension in advisory.
This year, we have a welcomed component that connects our UpStander theme to our summer school read of, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. Our school was fortunate to contact William Kamkwamba and will communicate with him via Skype. With the guidance of teachers who organized the summer read and the now unbelievable effort to reach out to William, we will have planned question and answer time with this extraordinary person. William represents a very different type of upstander. However, so many of his attributes can easily connected to our school’s theme.
It is our hope that bringing both passive, and more aggressive acts of bullying behavior to the surface will help those actions from emerging in ways that are hurtful to the individual and to the community.
In recognition of UpStander Day, students and staff will be offered a bracelet. These bracelets were made to order. They stay “Stand UP! …because its the right thing to do”. Their background is black, and lettering in lime green or white. All, students and staff, will receive a bracelet. We will ask for a suggested donations of $1. The donation may be less or not at all. All proceeds will go to the charitable organization set up by William Kamkwamba so that the work he began can continue to influence other areas in need.
We encourage you, our family community, to discuss the events of the day, the topics of bullying, biased, and generally unkind behavior towards others, with your child. In a school such as ours, the neighborhoods that surround us, and the city we live in, we feel quite confident and privileged to have such a diverse group of students who, with the right tools, can lead us into a more understanding and peaceful world.
Please find the attached link to the DOE’s Respect for All initiative. http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/RespectforAll/default.htm Also, please know, if at any time a student feels uneasy about the way he or she is being treated, we encourage their coming forward to myself, a school counselor, or any staff member they feel comfortable talking with.