2nd Place Winner!

At my school we have a long-standing tradition of decorating the main hall with trees for the 2 weeks or so before Christmas break. Each club and organization is invited to put up a tree, and then there is a contest and the winner is announced at the Holiday assembly on the last day of school before the break.

Last year the RAIN club decided they wanted to do a tree, and so they proceeded to make plans and collect supplies.

One of the girls donated a tree. Another bought colored icicles. Others donated old ornaments from home, and I donated colored paper for paper snowflakes. They then spray-painted and decorated the tree by color, from red at the top down to purple at the bottom. It was awesome.

The girls had some rainbow candy sticks for club treats while they worked on it. Several of us thought the candy would look great on the tree, but the student who brought it was afraid that it would get stolen off the tree.

So what if it does, I said. Let's put messages of equality on the candy sticks, and that way when students steal them, they get a message to go with it!

So that's what we did. We also made ornaments out of colored cardstock with the same quotes on them.

It looked awesome!

At the assembly, ever tree got its own individual award. There were probably 20 trees or more. Ours was deemed "The most colorful" but also took second place.

They used pretty much the same tree this year (except the candy sticks were gone) and won second place again with a different group of student judges.

Here are the quotes I found for the tree, in case you are interested:

Human beings seldom step outside of themselves to really grasp the needs and fears of others. We often project our own thoughts and beliefs upon strangers, and make judgments based upon how we think they 'should' be living their lives. If only we could experience a few moments inside the feelings of another person, the world would be a much more compassionate and benevolent place.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
— Mother Teresa

We will never know the difference that can be made in our life and the lives of strangers unless we choose to be open to all possibilities.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

The highest result of education is tolerance.
— Helen Keller

The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
— Frederick II, the Great

I think we have to own the fears that we have of each other, and then, in some practical way, some daily way, figure out how to see people differently than the way we were brought up to.
— Alice Walker

Man is always inclined to be intolerant towards the thing, or person, he hasn't taken the time adequately to understand.
— Robert R. Brown

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try to understand each other, we may even become friends.
— Maya Angelou ("Passports to Understanding")

How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance, the one value that is indispensable in creating community.
— Barbara Jordan

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
— H. Jackson Brown

Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you; until you have cultivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire; until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy.
— Napoleon Hill

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.
— Jesse Jackson

The goal of compassion is not to care because someone is like us but to care because they are themselves.
— Mary Lou Randour

Oppression involves a failure of the imagination: the failure to imagine the full humanity of other human beings.
— Margaret Atwood

Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.
— Albert Schweitzer

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.
— Mother Teresa

We are not fighting for integration nor are we fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as human beings.
— Malcom X

It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.
— Harvey Milk

All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.
— Harvey Milk

Happy Birthday, RAIN style

RAIN decided to have a party and celebrate a couple of birthdays for people in the club. They invited students from the club at a neighboring school, and we all had a blast. A mom of one of the ally kids in the club made and donated the cake. It was gorgeous and yummy! The kids planned and brought everything they needed. I turned on my disco ball with ABBA music playing. Everyone hung out, visited, talked, ate, made their own ice cream in Ziploc backs, some danced. No one wanted to go home, but finally, I told them I had to go. Everyone helped clean up.

I just wish everyone could understand like I do that these are normal teenagers. They are such good kids and I am so lucky to call them friends.

I hope the club continues to survive. I recently heard a story of students in St. George trying to start a club between four high schools, and meeting with resistance from the community and the administration. When a principal was reminded that legally he had to allow the club, or get rid of all clubs, he chose the latter.

So sad.

One group of students have stopped coming. One of them stepped down as an officer. There are kind of two groups of friends, and the two groups were not getting along. It is sad, and I hope it is not a sign of how hard this club will be to keep going, especially in years to come. There have to be students who want to run it and are willing to work together.

But in the meantime, they all know that I am there for them, and I am grateful for that.

Gay Pride Mama

I went to the pride center last week to hang out with our GSA club officers as they attempted to plan out some activities for the club. At one point I mentioned that one of the other advisers of the club might not approve of my hanging out with them.

One girl said, "Right now, you are not high school staff. You are our friend. In fact, I am going to start calling you my gay pride Mama."

Then this tough girl hugged me and started to cry, telling me how much she missed her own mom, who happens to be out of commission for a while. I told her that I would be her mom any time she needed me to be. Then she got mad at me for making her cry. :P

Needless to say, I was extremely touched!

I am proud to be called the gay pride Mama!

RAIN at School

When one of the students at my school walked in the door last Thursday morning and saw the above poster on the wall in the main foyer, he said that he almost cried tears of joy. Another student said he smiled and took a photo of it with his cell phone. The poster was there among banners for other clubs as part of "club rush", where students advertise the clubs that are available for the kids to participate in at our school.

Let's back up to Wednesday morning. I asked a student if she had ever asked the administration if the club was approved enough for them to participate in rush. She immediately went down to talk to him, and came back with great news. His response was that he thought everything was go, and that he saw no reason why they should not be able to participate along with the other clubs.

So, Wednesday afternoon, 4 or 5 of them got together and created these masterpieces.



As you can see, the name of the club that we decided on was RAIN, which stands for "Rising Against Intolerance Now".



Today some of the students at my school (probably 10 or 15) met together to informally vote on officers and then get some plans in place for their first official meeting next week.

The adult supervisors were a bit awkward, trying to give them guidelines and advice, while still adhering to the fact that a non-curriculum club must be run by the students. After the last of them had finally left the room, excited and happy that this was actually happening, the 3 of us stood by the door, just as excited, almost like we were in a dream. I just know this will make a difference to the students, families, and community.