Schools Observe Week of Respect

Above, Edgemont kicked off Week of Respect with its annual International Day of Peace assembly and parade featuring the Edgemont Dove of Peace.

New Jersey is holding its second annual "Week of Respect" program, which was created last year as part of the state's anti-bullying law and the Montclair Public Schools are observing it with programs dedicated to the prevention of harassment, intimidation and bullying. Each school has its own schedule of activities for students to take part, designed to inspire students to stand up against bullying and remind them to have respect for each other, themselves and their school.

Following is a round-up of the week’s activities, according to principals.

Bradford

For Week of Respect, we introduce our Character Education Program and Peacemaker Program, called Bradford CARES. CARES is an acronym for cooperation, acceptance, respect and responsibility, empathy, and sharing. Each grade level is introduced (or re-introduced to Bradford CARES) and teachers begin implementing the Bradford CARES curriculum in their classrooms: 

Day 1: Bradford CARES poster contest kick-off (Selected posters from each grade level are displayed in school hallways). Entire school reads A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley;
Day 2: Every student creates a Bradford CARES picture for school display depicting one of the CARES values;
Day 3: Every student signs their name to the giant Bradford CARES banner;
Day 4: Each student shows respect for another in some way (i.e. filling classroom buckets with kind comments, writing a supportive letter to a peer, creating a classroom book of respect, etc.);
Day 5: School Spirit Day - wear your favorite Bradford attire to show school spirit and unity! Peacemakers nominated from each class to be showcased on our Peacemaker Bulletin Board on the first floor.

Bullock

During morning meeting, all classes will include messages and talks around respect.  Being a Responsive Classroom building, we are always modeling respect and acceptance.  Empathy is part of our C.A.R.E.S. principles and the 5th grade students have been working diligently collecting non-perishable items to donate to the local food pantry. They will have their "Hunger Walk" on Thurs., October 4.

Edgemont

On Fri., Sept. 28, Edgemont celebrates the International Day of Peace with an assembly and parade. This event kicks off the Edgemont’s Peace Curriculum and the observance of NJ Week of Respect. All students join the assembly with their doves of peace created in art classes. Fifth graders lead the assembly, present skits on conflict resolution and speeches on peacemakers throughout the world. The assembly culminates with the singing of “Circle the World,” as students parade with their giant dove of peace on Edgemont Road.  Edgemont teachers engage in conflict resolution the Montessori Way. As Mahatma Gandhi said in a letter to Maria Montessori, “If we are to have real peace, it must begin with the children.” The school-wide Peaceable Schools Model is a multi-step process designed to teach problem solving and conflict resolution skills to staff, students, and families. The curriculum is an ongoing part of every classroom. Edgemont teachers create Classroom Peace Contracts, model and practice conflict resolution skills, and commit to cooperation and respect. The Peace Rose and The World in the Palm of Her Hand are two of the many Montessori books used to help model how to share feelings, resolve conflicts, and create a nurturing environment in our classrooms. The themes represented in the books and the accompanying Montessori materials and activities help children successfully develop cooperation, self-confidence, and conflict resolution skills. Teachers will also engage in activities using the six Essential Lessons from the district Bullying Prevention Curriculum. And as a bookend to NJ Week of Respect, on Fri., October 5, our school will celebrate Spirit Day with the entire school community. 

Hillside

Respect Week is dedicated to honoring kindness, teamwork, and building a positive school environment. In order to show school spirit, students are asked to participate in our spirit week!

On Mon., October 1, students are encouraged to "Kick Off the Week With Respect by wearing their favorite team’s jersey and/or colors; Tues., Oct. 2, the theme is "I'm Proud to be a Respectful Person" and students are encouraged to wear red, white and blue; Wed., October 3 students can wear their favorite hat for "Hats off to Respectful People"; Thurs., Oct. 4’s theme is "Character Counts When It Comes to Respect" so students will wear Hillside School colors to show their school spirit; and Fri., Oct. 5, students are asked to wear their favorite sweatshirt for "Warm up to a Respectful Life."

Nishuane

Each classroom at Nishuane will be reviewing our school-wide rules during our daily Morning Meetings with a focus on respect: 1. We will be kind. 2. We will be safe. 3. We will be respectful.

Each classroom will be brainstorming ways that we can treat one another with respect and those ideas will be listed inside a life-size outline of a person. These completed respect posters will be on display outside of each classroom by the end of the week. Students will be recognized as bucket-fillers when they are acting in respectful ways throughout the week and these acts of respect will be highlighted on the bucket-filling announcements on Friday afternoon.

Northeast

Monday through Friday, Northeast will be announcing RESPECT messages over the announcements. RESPECT coordinators Ms. Debra Polizzano (SAC) and Mr. Kevin Dejong (Montclair State University Graduate Student) will continue their series on classroom visits doing RESPECT lessons in each classroom. On Tues., Oct. 2 we will host our grades 3-5 RESPECT Field Day. On Oct. 3 Principal Joe Putrino will address RESPECT at Back to School Night. We are also currently selling our RESPECT Campaign T-shirts to be worn at our RESPECT pep rally held on Oct. 24. Classrooms are preparing performance throughout the month for the rally. During the evening of Oct. 24 we will host our RESPECT Campaign Showcase, which is open to the whole community. At the event we will have a replay of the pep rally and other RESPECT activities for kids.

	Montclair Detective Brian Fazio fields questions from third, fourth and fifth graders at Watchung.

Watchung

The Week of Respect will begin on Mon., Oct. 1 with Brian Fazio, a Montclair Police Detective in the Juvenile Aid Bureau, speaking to students about working together as part of a community to combat bullying.

Throughout the week, various staff members will share messages of respect on our morning “Wake Up, Watchung” broadcast.

Thurs., Oct. 4, Watchung will have “Mix it up Day.” In the cafeteria, students will be encouraged to sit with students they normally don’t sit with and on the playground students will be encouraged to play with students they normally don’t play with.

Classroom Caring Community Boxes to be introduced in each class. In these boxes, students can write comments and concerns in order to promote a strong sense of classroom and school community. Weekly classroom meetings will be conducted to discuss the messages placed in the boxes.

Beginning Oct. 1 and continuing throughout the school year:

1. “What is Respect?” bulletin board. This bulletin board will be by the entrance and throughout the year students and staff can add pictures, comments and quotes highlighting the theme of “Respect.”
2. First School Spirit Day. Every Friday, students and staff will be encouraged to show community spirit by wearing the school colors of blue and white.
3. Staff HIB training. The school SAC and principal will conduct a training session on the current HIB laws, including reporting and investigation procedures.

Mount Hebron

The Mount Hebron community will be addressing the theme of respect in multiple ways. The week will begin with an extended homeroom Advisory session on respect.  First, students will participate in an activity called "Take A Step." In this activity, the homeroom creates a circle, and as the teachers read various scenarios, the students are invited to “take a step” if the scenario is true for them.  Scenarios include such statements as “take a step if you’ve ever thought something really mean or critical about yourself” and “take a step if you’ve ever stood up for someone who was being hurt in some way.” In this way, the students can see that most of us have experienced disrespect and respect in our lives. The activity allows them to share their experiences with one another in a silent way. 

Next, the Advisory teachers shared with the students eight respect “basics.” The respect basics are: Tell your truth: be honest about who you are; know you are valuable: follow your passions; trust your gut; set boundaries; be compassionate; get help, and spread respect. Students are asked to consider which “basic(s)” they are already good at, and which one(s) they would like to continue to work on. 

The Advisory closes with students pairing off and making a promise to their partner that this week they will work on developing one of the “basics.” This emphasizes the necessity of self-respect as a prerequisite for building overall respect in the larger community. In addition, morning announcements will emphasize the theme of respect by reading the above respect basics each day.

Teachers are weaving the theme of respect into their subject area. One social studies teacher plans to discuss the importance of tolerance of one another's religion, as her class learns about world religions.  Another social studies teacher will address respect as he teaches his students about the Bill of Rights.  In the science classrooms, students will learn about respect as they consider lab safety, and how treating the materials with respect is necessary for safety. One Language Arts teacher will address respect as she teaches her students about the value of using "I" statements, and though we cannot control other's actions, we can control our own reactions. Another Language Arts teacher will be doing skits with her students on the theme of respect in their lives. A math class will learn about respect as they engage in collaborative projects with one another. Finally, some of the special education classrooms will be teaching students about respect via a rewards program related to positive behaviors and strong, supportive teamwork.

Renaissance

Student assistance counselor Jerry Citro is organizing advisories/activities for the Week of Respect, each day with a different theme: Self-Respect, Respect, Diversity, Civil Disclosure and Experience. During the week, each homeroom will recognize a student that has continually displayed the qualities of respect. Students in homerooms will discuss respect: to consider worthy of high regard: esteem; willingness to show consideration or appreciation; treat courteously or kindly. They will discuss ways in which people treated them respectfully or disrespectfully this week/weekend or today and more importantly, how did it make them feel?/

In addition, students will create a “recipe for respect.” What ingredients do you need? What are the directions? The most creative and inspiring recipes will be posted on a school-wide display. Teachers will collect the recipe cards. Another activity will have students making a list of people they think are respectful (this can be a friend, a family member, a teacher, or someone famous). As a homeroom, they will share their lists and discuss those individuals. On Thurs., Oct. 4, students will work alone or with a partner to create a short song, rap, chant or a poem about respect. Words will tell why respect is important and how it could make the world a better place. The rap, song, chant or poem will be shared during homeroom. On Fri., Oct. 5, students will get to nominate someone from their homeroom whom they feel exemplified the qualities of respect. Along with a name, each student will provide a brief statement highlighting the nominees’ distinguishing character. An announcement will be made on Mon., Oct. 8 recognizing the students who promote a high level of respect for Renaissance as well as the community.

Montclair High School

Mon., Oct 3, MHS will kick off Week of Respect with an announcement to the entire school. The student body President and Vice President will select and read a respect quote of the day during morning announcements. The student body will be challenged to demonstrate respect of self and others each day this year and especially this week. Tuesday through Friday daily readings will continue each day of the week with readings selected and read by student representatives from all corners of MHS’s diverse community including CGI, Social Justice, Athletics, and SVPA. On Friday, the Week of Respect concludes with Peer Leaderships Freshmen Activity Day during Period 6 as Senior Peer Leaders will lead freshmen students through a variety of group activities designed to break down the boundaries which divide students from each other.