Doane Stuart has been selected as one of 104 “Mix It Up Model Schools” across the country by Teaching Tolerance Magazine for “fostering respect and understanding among students and throughout campus during the 2014-15 school year.”
Mix It Up at Lunch Day began in 2002 and is designed to help discourage exclusivity and “cliques” by encouraging students to sit with someone they normally wouldn’t sit with during lunch. As explained in Teaching Tolerance, “educators and students tell us that exclusionary social cliques can lead to conflicts, bullying and harassment, and that these cliques are extra visible in the lunchroom.” During Mix It Up at Lunch Day, schools aim to reduce the power of lunchroom divisions and promote kindness, friendship and inclusivity.
How did our Middle School earn this recognition? From the Teaching Tolerance school profile page: “Doane Stuart held four Mix It Up at Lunch Days for Middle School students this year. Students also spent time in groups and participated in activities that prompted them to examine stereotyping and exclusion, finishing the day by developing and sharing action plans for their middle school community.”
Congratulations to our Middle School for the national recognition and for promoting and participating in such an important program. Doane Stuart is a special community because of the diverse talents and interests of our faculty and students and the commitment they have to fostering inclusivity.
The first Mix It Up day for 2015 will be held on October 27.
For more information about the program, visit the Teaching Tolerance Blog