After a week that saw South Orange Middle School thrown into the international spotlight after about 100 of its students declined to pose for a picture with House Speaker Paul Ryan, the school is seeing both good and bad effects.
It was a week ago today that about half of the students on a trip to Washington. D.C. rejected the offer to pose with Ryan, citing opposition to many of his policies.
Since then the students have gotten attention from as far away as England and as wide-ranging as People magazine and The Washington Post. But vicious social media emails and postings have also come their way, according to some parents.
Right-wing news outlets have gone as far as calling the action "contempt" for Ryan and the students "indoctrinated."
Now SOMS Principal Lynn Irby writes in a note to parents Wednesday that the impact of the incident and its coverage has been good and bad.
The bad is what she describes as "naive and hurtful comments that have been made on social media about the photo op."
But in the spirit of learning she also writes that the school has used the experience as a teaching tool:
Yesterday in 8th grade
social studies classes, teachers used this opportunity to discuss the
national attention this issue has been given, and the respect we must
have for each
other. If we want to have a government and a community where are all
points of view are valued and listened to, we have to make sure that we
create that culture here in our classrooms and in our school. We will
not let this issue divide us.
Most of all, however, Irby praised the students and said their efforts show that the school and community "raise smart, engaged and free-thinking children in our community, and our students are keenly aware of the world in which they live."
See Irby's entire note below:
Dear SOMS Families,
As you know, a group of 8th
grade students from South Orange Middle School visited our nation’s
capital last week. Among their stops, they traveled to the Capitol for a
class photograph.
When the opportunity to take a photograph with House Speaker Congressman
Paul Ryan was presented, some of our students respectfully declined,
while others chose to participate. We support our students’ right to
make either choice.
Contrary to some of the
naïve and hurtful comments that have been made on social media about the
photo op, our children are well-informed and come from homes in which
conversations about our nation are frequent.
I challenge the notion that their choices were prodded by parents or
teachers. We raise smart, engaged and free-thinking children in our
community, and our students are keenly aware of the world in which they
live.
Yesterday in 8th grade
social studies classes, teachers used this opportunity to discuss the
national attention this issue has been given, and the respect we must
have for each
other. If we want to have a government and a community where are all
points of view are valued and listened to, we have to make sure that we
create that culture here in our classrooms and in our school. We will
not let this issue divide us.
We have also shared some
of the social media commentary with the SOPD for their guidance, to
ensure the safety of our students and staff. As an additional
precaution, we have been advised to encourage students
to refrain from engaging strangers in conversations on social media.
As principal of South
Orange Middle School, it gives me a tremendous sense of pride to see our
children develop into young women and men who see themselves as
stakeholders in the struggle to create a better America.
Respectfully,
Lynn Irby
