Meridianville Middle School will be a NO Place For Hate School!

What is… No Place for Hate? No Place for Hate is a program of the Anti- Defamation League that helps schools enhance or create a culture of respect. It is designed to celebrate diversity and empower students and teachers to stand up against prejudices.

Stop judging, start getting to know people So, how do you know if you are being prejudiced? Being prejudiced is prejudging or making a decision about a person or group without really knowing the person. Examples of Acts of Prejudice: Bullying, making fun of, name-calling, social avoidance, slurs and bullying against someone who may be different from yourself.

The Goal… For millions of students, bias, bullying, cyber bullying and name-calling can damage their self- esteem and ability to learn. No student should ever feel isolated because of his or her ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation or physical appearance. Our goal is to provide a welcoming school that is committed to stopping all forms of bias and bullying.

Resolution of Respect I pledge from this day forward to do my best to combat prejudice and to stop those who, because of hate or ignorance, would hurt anyone or violate their civil rights. I will try at all times to be aware of my own biases and seek to gain understanding of those who I perceive as being different from myself. I will speak out against all forms of prejudice and discrimination. I will reach out to support those who are targets of hate. I will think about specific ways my community members can promote respect for people and create a prejudice-free zone. I firmly believe that one person can make a difference and that no person can be an “innocent” bystander when it comes to opposing hate. I recognize that respecting individual dignity, achieving equality and promoting intergroup harmony are the responsibilities of all people. By signing this pledge, I commit myself to creating a respectful community. Everyone in the school will sign the Resolution of Respect.

Activities we will be doing this year… No Place For Hate “Virtual March”: (10-21-16) ~We will “virtually” march around the campus to declare that our school is a No Place for Hate School.

Ally Campaign We will organize a Social Media Campaign that encourages people to act as an ally when confronted with instances of stereotypes, prejudice or bullying. (12-16-16)

Essay Contest Organize an Essay contest with a theme that is either personal experience with prejudice or a success story in the fight against it. The grade winners will receive a prize and their essay will be read at an assembly and will be on all the school’s social media sources. Essays will be due: 2-17-17

Meridianville Middle School’s No Place For Hate Student Coalition committee Coalition committee members are ready and willing to provide you with more information regarding The No Place For Hate process and purpose. Just ask. Ethan Soto Barum Elijah Brannon Grace Callison Virginia Gardner Cavender Hudgens Akiya Humphrey Rodridguez Stuckey Rowan Tipton Alex West Khlood Yafai