Students Shoot and Score
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On March 21, the student government hosted the 3rd Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament.
In the end...
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On March 21, the student government hosted the 3rd Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament.
In the end...
Click here to view more photos from this album
Juniors in American Literature class traveled to Harlem for a private blues concert with Bill Saxton at Bill's Place, located at 148 West 133rd Street between Lenox and 7th Avenue.
The blues bar is the only original speakeasy left from Prohibition on Swing Street.
We had a great time listening to blues, and hearing about the history of the neighborhood. We made connections between the music and neighborhood to our reading of James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" and the poets of the Harlem Renaissance.
On April 11, 2014, there will be a nation-wide movement called "Day of Silence". The Day of Silence was created to show solidarity with all LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered) students who because of fear of ostracism and bullying, do not feel free to speak openly about themselves. The Day of Silence is a day for allies of LGBT students to reflect on what it must feel like to have to live a life in silence. It is hoped that in reflecting about this experience, empathy can be built amongst students to create a less hostile school community for all students.
Why Silence? Day of Silence Organizing Tips
During both lunch periods, students who choose to participate in the Day of Silence take a pledge, receive a friend sticker, and sign the Day of Silence banner.
The Pledge:
Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by name-calling, bullying and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices.
In support of the Gay Straight Alliance, the Friends of Rachel Club presented at Morning Muster the following presentation...
Each day 160,000 students do not go to school because they are bullied, teased and harassed. By turning the story of a tragic death at Columbine High School into a mission for change, Friends of Rachel Clubs around the country are helping to create safer learning environments and making a world-wide impact.
The goal of the Friends of Rachel Club is based on the writings and life of 17 year-old Rachel Scott who was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school. Shortly before her death she wrote,
I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.
The five Rachel's Challenges are:
The Friends of Rachel's Club and Gay-Straight Alliance stand together in our shared goal of ending bullying and creating a chain reaction of kindness and compassion in our school and community. The main goal of our clubs is to help create a permanent cultural change in our school. We are confident the chain reaction of kindness and compassion will continue for many years to come and we thank you for your support.
On Wednesday, March 26th our students had a special assembly program from Breaking the Cycle, a not-for-profit charitable organization, originally formed in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which focuses on the message of non-violence and forgiveness to deal with issues that presses our students to react.
The speakers included program director Ian Winter, lifelong peacemaker J. Christoph Arnold, motivational speaker Hashim Garrett, and former Cornwall-on-the-Hudson Police Chief Charles Williams.
Breaking the Cycle's approach is simple: The speakers tell personal stories of life experiences that demonstrate how, through choosing to forgive, conflicts can be resolved. The message is positive - a direct appeal stressing self-respect and the unique value of each individual.
The main goals were to:
As part of the program, students were given copies of Why Forgive – which features fifty-one incredible stories about overcoming fear and prejudice, nurturing forgiveness, and related themes along with She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall-who was one of the Columbine High School shooting victim, written the night before she was killed by two of her schoolmates.
For more information on the program, please visit www.breakingthecycle.com