From The Desk of Mr. Pinto
With the events of the past few weeks, we watched videos of cities across our country holding peaceful protests that in many communities became violent. We saw protest organizers and political leaders pleading for peaceful demonstrations and we saw the anger of those protesting reaching a boiling point. As a parent and educator, I wanted to express that I share your concerns over our children’s future, given the present socio-political turmoil in the country. We are all worried about what our children are thinking and how they’re processing the current state of this country. Should we shelter our children from this violence? Do they need to know what is happening in the name of race, gender, and religion in this country? What are the schools doing to teach students about inequalities, racism, and social justice in America? In light of the pandemic, it is likely that your children are connecting with social media and other media outlets more frequently than they may have in the past.
As the leader of Cliffside Park High School, I can attest that our students, staff, parents, community, and Board of Education Trustees, are deeply saddened by this act of police brutality resulting in the senseless death of George Floyd. We stand in support of those demanding social change and justice and encourage our students to peacefully voice their thoughts, opinions, and feelings through their Constitutional rights.
Here are some steps we have taken to create inclusive communities by promoting unity and respect and empowering our school community to reduce bullying, name-calling, and other expressions of bias. In addition, I have shared examples of curriculum, programming, lessons, and assemblies that promote unity, tolerance, and respect for all cultures, religions, and people. For example, please note the following:
Over the past three years, we have dedicated time for ongoing professional development and teacher-led cultural competency training for our faculty in an effort to provide all staff members with a broader understanding of the cultural and linguistic diversity of our student population and to determine strategies to best meet their needs.
The courses and clubs we offer are designed to both reflect our diversity and to provide opportunities to explore the rich contributions of other cultures and the experiences of its people. At Cliffside Park High School, we offer Latin & Caribbean Studies and Latin American Literature. Students in our Genocide & Tolerance class unpack the valuable lessons that we can learn from history to create a more peaceful world. Students in that class joined the middle school to listen to first-hand accounts of holocaust survivors and to explore an exhibit that was set up in coordination with the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance & Education. The curriculum of our Contemporary U.S. History class includes a deep dive into the struggle for civil rights for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The high school is also proud to give students the opportunity to participate in the Gay-Straight Alliance Club, which actively works towards making a more inclusive school community. The club raised and donated monies to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/) was founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. Our students have been invited to, and attended, the Bergen County LGBTQ+ Youth Leadership Summit for the last two years. Our students participated in the Bergen County Pride Celebration and Flag raising. At the time the pandemic started, the students were working on a proposal on how to implement the new inclusion laws that Governor Phil Murphy signed into existence. This work was to include sample lesson plans that the students would share with building leadership. Currently, students are participating in lectures hosted by GLSEN and participating in Netflix Parties.
For the 2nd year in a row, students in our social studies classes participated in the Northern NJ Segregation Symposium hosted by Ridgewood High School and Rutgers-Newark. Our students analyzed the causes of racial segregation in the state and explored possible initiatives to promote integration. Along with only Ridgewood, we have participated in the symposium for two consecutive years and were one of 14 schools in the state to participate this year.
Cliffside Park High School has built relationships with the Latino Promise and HACER advisors at Fairleigh Dickinson University to benefit the Latino population. Representatives visit the high school to speak to students about available college programs, provide assistance with financial aid, provide mentoring and leadership opportunities and assist with both the application and interview process. The Latino Promise and HACER programs at Fairleigh Dickinson University are designed to assist Latino students in achieving their college dreams and empowering Latino students. The program provides a personal approach to higher education, offers bilingual professors, one-on-one advisors, mentoring, ESL classes, community service, tuition assistance. Students have found great success since this partnership was established in 2017, as it has provided hope and guidance to members of our Latin community and their collegiate future.
The Student Council provides a place where all students can express and voice their concerns to the school administration in regards to school and non-school related issues and promote constructive discussions and solutions. When the Parkland shooting occurred in Florida in 2018, the Student Council helped students express their anger and frustration, with an in-school, “CPHS Youth Empowerment Service”. Students were given an opportunity to convey their feelings while remembering the lives of the victims. This service left the students knowing that their opinions are important and valued.
Programming and training aimed at combating bias and hate-crimes for our students and staff include participating in the Week of Respect, Social Media Education, Dating Violence Awareness for all genders, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Awareness, Gender Training, and events celebrating our culturally and ethnically diverse community.
Though the above is only a very small sample of how Cliffside Park High School addresses intolerance and infuses opportunities for inclusion, compassion, and acceptance, please be assured that these themes and topics remain at the forefront of instruction and are an important part of the positive school climate and culture that exist in our school.
With protests and demonstrations anticipated in our community this weekend, we encourage all students and parents to remain peaceful. The great Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Cliffside Park High School takes deep pride in our cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic, and religious diversity. With dozens of different languages spoken in our building, our students and staff work side-by-side towards the common goal of creating equitable educational experiences for everyone. We continue to strive towards a better understanding of each other and the complex issues that face our nation, guided by our shared values of respect, compassion, and civic responsibility.
I encourage students with specific questions regarding instruction and curriculum on this sensitive topic to contact me directly.
In unity,
Lawrence C. Pinto