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Addressing Harmful Language Together
Over the last few years, we have unfortunately seen an increase in harmful language by our students, reflecting a broader trend in schools and communities. Young people are encountering harmful words and ideas more frequently through social media, online spaces, and popular culture. One of the most important ways we respond is by proactively educating students about the power of language and its impact on others.
Each year, our counselors begin the school year with lessons on harmful language for our middle school students. This year, counselors partnered with Core 5 teachers for a two-day lesson on harmful language where students learned key terms, explored real-life scenarios through video, discussed the impact of harmful language, learned how to be an upstander, and created posters to raise awareness. Students were also reminded that racist, discriminatory, and dehumanizing language is not tolerated on our campus or within our community. This year, we are expanding this work by developing developmentally appropriate lessons for all Cores, which will be implemented throughout the semester.
We also encourage families to revisit the Family Handbook, which students and parents sign at the beginning of each year. On page 26, you’ll find our Policy to Address Racist, Discriminatory, and Dehumanizing Incidents, which outlines our expectations for how we are together as a community. The Family Handbook is always linked at the bottom of our weekly updates, and we encourage families to review these expectations regularly with their children.
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