Be Kind, Words Don’t Rewind - Students Unite in Orange

Under the pines, there is no place for hate. The Hamden Hall community stands together for kindness, equity, and acceptance as exhibited Friday in a school-wide sea of orange on Unity Day.

Lower School students gathered together for an end-of-week assembly to learn more about the meaning behind Unity Day and discussed how our school community can work together to uplift one another. When asked how to be an advocate, a fourth-grade student commented that it is important to care about each other and “you should be respectful to everyone, no matter your differences.”

The assembly kicked off our No Place for Hate program, in which students vow to step forward and be upstanders rather than bystanders when it comes to bullying and other non-inclusive behavior. The program was implemented last school year and will continue to be part of a Hamden Hall education.

No Place for Hate is an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) program. According to the ADL, the program’s purpose is to bring people of all backgrounds together to find solutions to prevent discrimination. In 2020, our school was among eight academic institutions that earned the official designation, “No Place for Hate.”

Following the assembly, Lower School students gathered in the hallway of Whitson to place messages of kindness on a collaborative sticky note mural titled, “How can we bring UNITY to our Hamden Hall Community?” One mural started out as bare poster boards spelling out the word unity with each letter being filled with colorful notes to create a vibrant image. The second mural was a peace sign lined with hand-written messages about unity.

Last year, students signed the No Place for Hate pledge, which encourages all to stand up and speak out against bullying.

“Taking the pledge demonstrates our commitment to having unity in diversity, and we are all continuing our work of uplifting one another so that all students feel welcome in our halls,” said Director of Lower School Lorri Carroll.

Over the weekend, the Middle and Upper schools joined together for ADL’s Walk Against Hate as another kick-off event to this year’s No Place for Hate campaign. Students, faculty, families, and friends met in the school courtyard and walked along Whitney Avenue to St. Thomas Church and back. Even pets were invited to join! Past parents and alumni participated as well including past parents Robyn Teplitzky and Robert and Dale Felice; and alumni Taylor Felice 2003 and Matt Felice 2005. David Slossberg 1981 led the group along the route.

Mrs. Carroll noted in a message home to parents that the goal in promoting anti-discrimination initiatives is to build a learning community that is welcoming, respectful, and inclusive.

“We all have a responsibility to commit ourselves to learning and accepting diversity. It is essential to understand other points of view to create a more thoughtful environment,” said Director of Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Dr. Lisa Hill.