Non-violence consultant visits Oak Middle School
By Mary Pritchard Contributing Writer

Oak Middle School eighthgraders Niveda Baskaran, Rosanna Cruz-Socca, Linda Chen, Erin Simone, Jocelyn Harmon and Holly Ouellette participate in a skit with Robert T. Jones, a consultant, who worked with students at Oak Middle on a non-violence and diversity program.

Shrewsbury - As the school year began to wind down and summer break approached, Oak Middle School administrators remained committed to educating their students until the very last day of school. Recognizing the importance of helping students learn "life lessons" as well as academics, they gave eighthgraders an opportunity to participate in a lesson that would show the students how their words and actions aff ect those around them.

Principal Dr. Joseph Sawyer and Guidance/Adjustment Counselor Sue DiLeo brought in Robert T. Jones, a Westborough resident who is a consultant specializing in inclusion and diversity, to work with the students.

"Despite the fact that our students have been educated since grade school, especially through our health curriculum, about respecting others, we had a couple of incidents of eighth-grade students making inappropriate comments that included derogatory language related to race," Sawyer explained. "This was disappointing, but we are not immune to issues present in society. However, rather than shrug our shoulders, we felt we could take additional action that could help improve student understanding of these problems and how we can avoid them."

"[Jones is] a dynamic man who practices what he preaches," DiLeo said. "He believes that youth can change the future and he works hard to help them realize it and aff ect change."

Jones and DiLeo worked with 22 eighth-graders to prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the eighth-grade class. During that preparation, they worked on team building and promoting non-violence using the methods of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Students shared situations they had seen happen in school and together created skits depicting them. Skits were performed for the entire eighth grade and students were asked how they might handle the problems. A variety of endings were played out in the skit to show an appropriate way to resolve the problem.

During the presentation, Jones, who experienced living in a tough neighborhood as he grew up, shared with the students that they have an opportunity to create an environment where people can go to school without experiencing fear, hurt or danger.

He encouraged the students to think of what kind of legacy they will leave behind and he challenged them to "be a friend" to people and to see what kind of a diff erence they will make in the future.

According to Jones, "violence prevention and conflict reconciliation are important factors in dealing with diversity."

"Student reaction was positive overall," Sawyer said. "Many students commented that having their peers doing the skits and making suggestions for appropriate ways to handle problems was very influential."