The Tolerance Games
The Tolerance Games was created following an in-depth evaluation of our Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) reports. The Character Development/School Safety Team (CDT/SST) recognized that each of our HIB incidents involved a lack of tolerance relating to learning, physical or cultural differences. With this knowledge in mind, we created the Tolerance Games. The three-day program follows the format of the Olympic Games with an Opening Ceremony, Game Day, and Closing Ceremony. Our focus throughout the program was to boost tolerance and empathy skills related to the fundamental rights to be respected, to feel safe and to be yourself, that are at the core of our community. Our team, with the expertise of members of administration, teachers on each grade level and related arts, divided the program into k-2 and 3-5 developmentally appropriate activities. All students and staff participated in grade level presentations, classroom breakout sessions and cross-age buddy class reflection sessions that reinforced our commitment to help our students work on their coping skills, make positive contributions to our school and community and to be respectful, responsible and safe.