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11-24-2006 By CASEY CAMPBELL Staff Writer Not just because they’re returning to class after the first vacation of length, but because a program designed to promote awareness of a school’s social climate will have students doing all sorts of things they don’t usually do. "Mix It Up Week" begins Monday when students return and features a variety of activities designed to help students create environments with less conflict and greater levels of understanding between different groups of kids. "The main message is really to have them look at the differences among each other and look at them as positives," said Christine McBrearty-Hulse, elementary school counselor and one of the organizers of the program. Each day of the week has a different theme designed to promote and emphasize tolerance. Monday’s theme is "United We Stand" and students are encouraged to wear red, white and blue. The phrase of the day is "We are all special in our own way." Tuesday is "Class Color Day" where students will learn to work together to be part of the pack. Each class’s color is represented by paper crayons set up on a bulletin board near the school’s entrance. The crayons each have words related to diversity, tolerance or friendship and students came up with various descriptions of what each word means to them. Wednesday’s theme is "Hats Off to Learning About Differences," and students will wear hats to school to show diversity. Thursday is "Comfortable With Myself Day" and students will get the chance to wear their pajamas to school to show how people can be comfortable on the inside and the outside. The week concludes Friday with "Wear Your Word Day," where each student will identify positive character words to wear on name tags for the day. One of the centerpieces of the week is the Mix It Up lunch. Students in grades four and five will be given colored bracelets or necklace character charms. They will then eat lunch at tables with students who have the same colors, instead of with the kids they usually eat with day after day. McBrearty-Hulse said the kids "moan and groan" about it the first day, but make connections and friends by the end of the week that they didn’t have before. Various figures from the village like mayor Carol Waller and Clark Sports Center director Brad Feik will mingle with students during the lunch throughout the week as well, McBrearty-Hulse said. After the week’s activities, McBrearty-Hulse said students will have explored the divisions and misunderstandings social boundaries often create in school settings and will hopefully be more tolerant and accepting of differences. "It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to become more aware of themselves and others," said elementary school principal Teresa Gorman. "It’s also an opportunity for them to embrace diversity and grow from different experiences." The "Mix It Up" committee who organized the week is made up of McBrearty-Hulse, Jeanne Dibble, Mary Boland, Alyson Burleigh, Yvette Feik, Teresa Cyzeski, Tammy Kelly, Kate Siracusa, Lori Butler, Braydon Dorsey, Pam Key, Deb Mack and Linda Stocking. |
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