On Oct. 16, students and staff across the Central High School District wore orange for Unity Day and engaged in activities aimed at promoting kindness, acceptance and inclusion, and community.  

Students at Grand Avenue and Merrick Avenue Middle School and Mepham High School participated in activities to create a unity chain.  

“Students were encouraged to write prompts about what they do to make school a safer place for their peers, a positive message or an act of message they have done or witnessed recently,” explained Nathalie Job, an assistant principal at Merrick Avenue. 

Once written onto strips of orange paper, students came together to link the strips into a chain, uniting the individuals and their common goals. 

Also at Mepham, students in Jacqueline Geller’s school and leadership class created unity bracelets for themselves and a friend. 

At Calhoun High School, orange papered footprints with messages of positivity and acceptance, promoting the theory that ‘each step unites us.’ They also had a wooden wishing well on display and encouraged passersby to add their ‘wish for the school community.’  

Students from various classes at Calhoun also worked ahead of Unity Day to create banners and photo booths ahead of the day’s events. 

At Kennedy High School, the school community united for spirit week.  

The Meadowbrook Alternative Program, PREP Academy and Electrical Training Program hosted their annual Day of Bonding in conjunction with Unity Day at the Brookside building. By incorporating all the adult agencies, central office clerical staff, preschool and daycare, and the senior center – which are also housed at Brookside - the event created “a way for all the groups to get to know each other,” explained Eric Arlin, the executive director of Alternative Education.

Click here to view the District Celebrates Unity Day slideshow.

 Date Added: 10/17/2024