By MACY DYE Challenge Day day is back! It will be held on Monday, Dec. 12. The goal of Challenge Day is to break down barriers that separate students and to create cohesiveness throughout the school.
“We heard from other schools that [Challenge Day] was a good thing. We researched it and it ended up proving to be a very positive experience for everyone involved,” Student Assistance Family Impowerment counselor Janibelle Jackson said.
Two facilitators from the Challenge Day program will lead 130 people (100 students and 30 adult volunteers) in activities. The day starts with games to loosen up the students and make them feel more comfortable. Then the students and volunteers start to open up and talk in groups of five about who they really are and what happens in their lives. The day is designed to be difficult. For some, Challenge Day means a closer look at old labels, for others it means a close encounter with their worst enemy.
In one of the activities, the Challenge Day staff puts a line down after group activities and calls out statements such as “If you have ever felt judged because of your skin color, cross the line.” The way the activity works is someone calls out a different grouping and the students are supposed to go as far across the line as they can without sitting in the chairs on the other side. Every time you take another step the point of the activity is to have less power and to show how many students are hurting and/or angry.
“Students that participated [last year] followed the rules and challenges. It helped with bullying and we developed the Be the Change team from it. Students got more involved in the community,” Jackson said.
To sign up for Challenge Day please pick up a form from the discipline office or Ms. Jackson’s office located in guidance. The last day to turn in a participation form for Challenge Day is November 18. Please return forms to the discipline office or see Ms. Jackson.