Letter from the MC Principal
Hello MC families,
This Saturday (1/27) is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2005 the UN General Assembly designated January 27th to be Holocaust Remembrance day in alignment with the anniversary of the liberation of The Auschwitz concentration camp, which occurred on January 27th, 1945. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other people who were victims of the Nazi regime.
Students learned about genocide during Advisory on Thursday. One of the tools that we used to have this discussion was the pyramid of hate which starts with biased attitudes, which can include name-calling, bigoted language, and bigoted “jokes;” and progresses to acts of bias; systemic discrimination; and genocide. I also stopped into each of the lunch rooms yesterday to have a brief conversation with the students about being thoughtful about the language they use with each other and challenging them to be reflective as we engage with these difficult topics.
This morning we had a special Morning Meeting with a candle lighting ceremony to honor the Holocaust. Students participated by hosting the meeting, we learned some details about the Holocaust, and a representative from each Advisory came to the front to light a candle. We appreciate the presence of the parents who also came to engage in this meeting. It was a solemn and reflective meeting, from which our students truly benefited, and that is why we talk about these historical events.
Unfortunately, at this time there are conflicts happening all over the world, and students want to talk about them. When conversations come up at school, and kids want to talk about what they see going on in the world, we seek to honor various perspectives, honor various cultures, and create spaces for people to listen to, and learn from, each other. We discuss these issues, because we want our students to be critical thinkers who are capable of having conversations about difficult topics, even with people with whom they may disagree.
Switching gears, our service day this past Friday was quite a success. Ms. Scott, our MYP Coordinator who also coordinates our various service efforts including Community Project, noticed that students returned to the building tired from a day of service, but looking like they felt good about the work that they had done. Students searched for service opportunities based on their interests and that increased the level of connection that they had to the work. On Friday, students organized medical supplies to be donated to countries in need, cleaned up local parks, and otherwise supported local community organizations. Thank you to the students for their research, to the parents that helped drive on Friday, and for the Advisors for their help in organizing these activities and helping our students get to the finish line.
This past Wednesday our 6th and 7th grade Advisories hosted 4th graders from the Elementary Campus for Read4Respect. This program involved our middle school students reading “My Secret Bully”, by Trudy Ludwig, to the 4th graders and doing activities around the topics of respect and anti-bullying. The event was a success and our 4th graders really enjoyed their time at the Middle Campus. It was an opportunity for our kids to step up as leaders and to give back to their community. Hats off to the counselors (Ms. Lee and Ms. Tottenham) at each campus for helping to organize the event alongside Ms. Afzal. A special shout out to 8th graders Cassidy Sinrich and Andrew Tran for facilitating the parent circles for the book reading!
As always if you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Kind regards,
Mark
Mark Sanders
Mark Sanders began teaching at ANCS in 2011. Before coming to the school, Mr. Sanders worked in New York City. He spent three years teaching 7th and 8th grade mathematics at Middle School 50 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and two years at Harlem Village Academies teaching Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry. He taught 8th grade Math/Science/Technology at ANCS for five years.
