September 10, 2015
There has been so much in the news as of late regarding Kim Davis, the County Clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, and her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As parent, I’ve had a difficult time explaining the conflict to my children. “Why are people so mad?” asked my nine-year-old daughter. It has been a teachable moment as I’ve struggled to help her understand the power of perspective. For me, the challenge is to refrain from making positive or negative comparisons about an individual’s beliefs, and also how to gain a deeper understanding of one’s own perspective by understanding how another understands their own perspective.
At Mounds Park Academy, we pride ourselves on teaching kids how to think, not what to think. While that applies to the accumulation and application of knowledge, it also applies to…how we understand diversity and inclusiveness. Yesterday, the Lower School kicked off the new year with their first CHAMP Assembly. CHAMP stands for “Character Happens At Mounds Park”. The theme for the year is inclusiveness, and makes use of the book “It’s Okay” by Todd Parr. In mixed-grade level groups, students thought about all the wonderful differences they see in themselves and in others and drew picture to place on their lockers. Some of their responses include:
“It’s okay to have a long tongue”
“It’s okay to have a broken are”
“It’s okay to have curly hair”
“It’s okay to have divorced parents”
“It’s okay to have different skin”
From a chuckle to a tear, I marveled at the ability of the students to own their individual differences so that they can learn to appreciate others.
At MPA, we truly believe in and embrace diversity. In valuing all members of the community, we not only enhance our learning environment, but also provide an honest and useful framework for students to understand the complex world in which we live.
Questions about race, gender, religion, and sexuality and the conversations they lead to are not easy. However, they are necessary. Systems of reasoning and the limitations of language and socialization can be used to teach bigotry and prejudice and can thwart experience and close minds. In an era when technology and globalization are rapidly growing, students need—more than ever—to learn how, not what, to think.
It is imperative that each child at MPA knows they are loved and accepted for who they are. I am proud to be the leader of a school that truly lives out its commitment to diversity and actively creates a community where all students can thrive.
