Respect for all week is an event where everyone across schools to stop bullying and treat each other with respect and kindness. The week takes place in the month of February in which each day has a specific theme within the week. Monday being acts of kindness, Tuesday Anti bullying/cyber bullying, Wednesday respect for diversity, religious acceptance and racial diversity, Thursday being gender identity sexual orientation and LGBTQ+ Pride, and Friday is no one eats alone day.
Each day has its own color that students are encouraged to wear, but it is not forced upon anyone. Schools are encouraged to promote acceptance to their students through lessons and activities, along with respecting diversity. RFA week is an annual event that the DOE launched in 2007 to encourage students and staff to promote and accept inclusion in schools.
The program took place between February 12 to February 16 with the purpose of preventing harassment, intimidation and bullying; and instead it works on creating environments that are welcoming and supportive for all.
In this day and age having a supportive and all-inclusive environment is important for younger students and for those who are struggling to have, along with the knowledge that there are people around them willing to be part of their support system.
Ms. Vanessa, who took part of the planning phase of RFA week for Dewey, claimed that respect for all week is ¨a way for schools to unite with each other and engage with staff and students to make sure all students feel safe in their environment.¨ Due to the diversity present not only in JDHS, but in most NYC schools, the DOE launched this program to celebrate the different cultural backgrounds present all around the city.
Although Ms. Vanessa did help with the planning for this event she was not the only one who participated; Mr. Butler also played a helping hand in the planning for this event.
Mr. Butler, the coordinator of student activities, believes that respect for all week should be something that isn’t just celebrated one week a year, but instead all 365 days in the year. In a school community like ours, in such a diverse school; we should be all about “embracing all aspects and all facets of our diversity and respecting those differences and what each of those perspectives bring to the table.”
During the week of February 12 to 16, activities were done in the cafeteria to bring the community together. For the planning of this event, SEL came together and decided to bring everyone’s backgrounds together. Along with having the GSA club adviser operate the activity table, different clubs came together to create positive affirmation cards. These cards were handed out during the mornings for the whole week by Mr. Butler and other students. The intention being to spread positive messages to students since, according to Mr. Butler “One small thing can make a person’s day”.
