STRONG — Students at the Elementary School joined more than 2 million others across the country for the 10th annual Mix It Up At Lunch Day.

The Tuesday event fosters student respect and understanding in schools, according to teacher and student adviser Crystal Knapp Polk. The Southern Poverty Law Center said approximately 5,000 schools are working on similar projects. The center started a Teaching Tolerance project in 1991, and the effort has expanded to include students at all grade levels.

Students in Strong decided to “mix it up” by placing students in grades five through eight at each lunch table, encouraging them to socialize with others they did not know.

Brandon Baldwin, the state attorney general’s school and curriculum coordinator for the project, spoke to students at an assembly last week.

This is the first time a representative has come to SAD 58.

“This is an event that many civil rights teams have done in recent years,” he said. “I promote it every year as a good civil rights team initiative.”

Students have opportunities to hurt, harass and embarrass others, and Baldwin encourages all students to be aware of such actions and help others who are targets. Facebook and other popular social media now provide individuals a way to say something anonymously instead of publicly, he said.

Destiny Thorndike, Summer Ross and Emily Deming said they want to make sure each person at their school is treated respectfully. They all had witnessed fellow students ridiculing or harassing others, and they said they had learned the importance of speaking against such behavior.

“Hate language can make fun of people and is mean,” Thorndike said. “Name-calling hurts people.”

Both Deming and Ross said they had confronted students who were verbally bullying others.

Supporting Sponsor for Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander and Rumford Falls Times.
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. franklinsavings.bank