By Sydney Rosenthal
Schreiber High School has been named a “No Place For Hate” high school for many years. “No Place For Hate,” an initiative of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is an organization that is designed to create inclusive school communities by emphasizing and promoting school unity and respect. It additionally promotes empowering schools in order to prevent and reduce bullying, name calling and other expressions of bias. The ADL, New York, is an organization that is committed to safeguarding civil rights of all religions, racial and ethnic groups, confronting anti-Semitism and all forms or prejudice as well as create a anti-bias education community for schools around the country.
The organization is partnered with the New York State Dignity Act to ensure that schools have the ability to be recognized for their staff development programs and student training programs related to bullying harassment and discrimination. The major organization is prominent all around the country and is designed to enhance a culture of respect and to create a safe, bully-free learning environment for students at all grade levels. Schreiber High School has been fortunate enough to earn this recognition because of the Port Washington community being supportive, caring and extra involved with making the public schools a place where children feel comfortable in their own skin and can have an open environment to learn safely and free of judgment.
The organization offers members of the Schreiber community the opportunity to work together to combat prejudice and enhance a culture of respect in their learning environment and surrounding community. “While Schreiber High School proves to be an imperfect place, I am routinely proud of the behavior of our students especially as it relates to how they treat each other,” said principal, Dr.Ira Pernick.
Schreiber High School, along with the “No Place For Hate” organization, emphasizes the Resolution of Respect to ensure that our school is an inclusive community and a safe learning environment for all students. Schreiber High School has created a “No Place For Hate” committee run by Mrs. Pollock, Sscial worker, and Mrs. Torres, assistant principal in order to better educate students on matters such as anti-bullying and keeping an inclusive environment within the school community. The committee runs different activities, specifically three per year, and then once the activities are placed the Anti-Defamation League nominated each school to earn a banner of respect for “No Place For Hate.”
The Resolution of Respect is a promise that students and staff bound to keep in order to make the school a healthy and welcoming learning environment. The Resolution states, “1) I will seek to gain understanding of those who are different from myself. 2) I will speak out against prejudice and discrimination. 3) I will reach out to those who are targets of hate. 4) I will promote respect for people and help foster a prejudice-free school. 5) I believe that one person can make a difference—no person can be an “innocent” bystander when it comes to opposing hate. 6) I recognize that respecting individual dignity and promoting intergroup harmony are the responsibility of all students.”
Each student in the Port Washington community is willing to to whatever it takes to combat prejudice in the school environment and stop those who violate the civil rights of others. It is very important to the students and staff of Schreiber High School to communicate and portray a safe, supportive and informative learning environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and beliefs in a non-harmful and unbiased manner.
Sydney Rosenthal is a senior at Schreiber High School.
