As part of the Coronado Unified School District’s No Place for Hate® (NPFH) program, Coronado High School (CHS) recently held three thought provoking activities to combat bullying and discrimination in school.
No Place for Hate® is an initiative of the Anti-Defamation League and has been implemented at over 1,600 PreK-12 schools nationwide. CUSD joined NPFH at the start of the 2020-2021 school year and has implemented the program at Village Elementary, Silver Strand, Coronado Middle School, and Coronado High School. Each school site has a NPFH committee of students, teachers, staff, and parents that collaborate on relevant educational activities.
The first CHS NPFH activity was for students to sign the No Place for Hate Pledge committing to six actions that challenge bias and bullying. CHS students attending school in-person were able to physically sign the pledge during the school day, and students attending school remotely participated in a Zoom to sign the pledge digitally. A printed copy of the NPFH pledge will remain visible in the CHS quad as a reminder of student expectations.
From April 30 to May 6, CHS modified its schedule to create a two-hour morning session for juniors to take the California Assessment of Performance and Progress standardized test. Students in other grades used the time to complete NPFH activities.
The second NPFH activity took place in a morning session with the freshman class. Over 150 students joined a Zoom session with Principal Shane Schmeichel and CHS junior Katherine Wastilla to participate in the “Identity Iceberg.” This activity asks students to consider how only a small portion of a person’s identity is shown, similar to an iceberg above water. The experience is designed to show how stereotypes and biases do not reveal what is actually below the surface. CHS freshman Wyatt Riebe reflected, “I found the No Place for Hate Zoom very beneficial because I met a student who is new and moved from Italy. This was great because we connected to just getting to know one another. Everyone was making these fantastic connections with their classmates.”
The third NPFH activity took place with the sophomore class. Students attended a two hour morning Zoom with a presentation and discussion about social justice. Principal Schmeichel’s presentation included questions about injustice and what that meant to each student. Students also learned about the youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman and watched her recite her famous poem, “The Hill We Climb.” Even though Gorman’s poem was first performed at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, the presentation clarified this was not a political statement. After watching the poem performed, students reflected on what this poem meant to them. CHS sophomore Jesse Hill shared, “I think that Amanda Gorman’s poem really encapsulated hope and highlighted a lot of the injustices today. I think listening to her poem in a group setting really helped me to better understand her work!”
As the school year comes to a close, the CHS NPFH committee continues to plan future educational activities to ensure CHS is an inclusive and respectful learning community. To stay updated on CHS’s NPFH, follow their Instagram: @chsnoplaceforhate.
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