Port School District encourages kindness, acceptance and inclusion
In celebration of kindness, acceptance and inclusion, the Port Washington Union Free School District (PWUFSD) came together on Unity Day, Oct. 21, to stand up against bullying and promote a tolerant atmosphere for all. District administrators, staff and students were encouraged to wear orange apparel to demonstrate their unity for the initiative.
“Each year, Unity Day is a vibrant and exciting day—not only because everyone is dressed in bright orange, but because it speaks to how united our community is for a very important cause,” Dr. Michael Hynes, Superintendent of Schools, said. “In Port Washington, we strive every day, not just on Unity Day, to send the universal message that bullying is never acceptable behavior. We may have not been able to gather together like we’ve done previously but we remain united together against bullying.”
At John J. Daly Elementary School, fifth grade students created original content on FlipGrid, a website that creates grids to facilitate video discussions, to share with younger students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade prior to starting off the day of activities.
The FlipGrid project, spearheaded by Daly School Counselor Casey Horowitz, included questions and responses related to, “How do you feel when you are kind to someone? How does someone feel when you are kind to them? How do you think being kind decreases bullying at Daly and in our community? What does it mean to feel included/accepted? What can you do to help everyone feel included and accepted?” To follow, each student in the building showcased their uniqueness and creativity as they designed a new face mask to wear.
At Manorhaven Elementary School, students took pen to paper to share positive words of affirmations on a bulletin board dedicated to bullying prevention. The bulletin board prompted discussions among students and staff related to, “How will you include others?”
At Guggenheim Elementary School, students crafted positive phrases on an orange flag and enjoyed a musical performance from Ms. Riordan, who played the ukulele.
At Paul D. Schreiber High School, students facilitated a No Place for Hate table throughout the day where everyone was encouraged to sign a paper pledging not to bully and then received an orange bracelet.
For more information about the Port Washington Union Free School District, visit the district’s website at www.portnet.org and like their Facebook page @PortWashSchools.
—Submitted by the Port Washington School District
