Norwood Superintendent Calls for Empathy, Tolerance Following School Incidents

NORWOOD, MA — The Norwood superintendent of schools is calling for more kindness after multiple incidents of hate after the election.

In a letter to parents, Superintendent Jim Hayden told parents that there have been some incidents but they are working to stop them.

"Across the country and here in Norwood we have witnessed various signs of hatred and bigotry in the form of swastikas (Train Station) and insults to minority groups. Some of our students have experimented with these behaviors and the adults in our schools have reacted quickly to stop any harassment," Hayden wrote. "Victims have been counseled, perpetrators disciplined and redirected and bystanders taught how to intervene. These instances are small in number but not something we want to continue."

Last month, the high school held a special session on how students were feeling after the election, collectively decide on the core values that can unite the school community and what action steps they should take as members of the Student Council, Global Citizens Club or concerned high school students, he said.

"During the 45 minute discussion, students mentioned wanting to feel safe, be able to voice their opinions without tearing down someone else’s ideas, not letting social media discussions get derailed into name calling, threats or crossing the line and having the sense to not make jokes at another expense. The core values of this group were Respect, Acceptance, Support, Empathy, Love, Walking Away, Not fighting fire with fire and Be the bigger person," he wrote.

On Nov. 29, high school students spent the day in a special school culture building activity called Challenge Day as part of an effort to down barriers between various groups to gain a better understanding of one another and build a school culture of acceptance.

The Coakley Middle School Teen Speak Out group experienced another training session around mentoring fellow students in tolerance and friendship activities that foster a positive school culture, he said, adding that the middle school teaching staff works daily to model tolerance and find ways to foster

If your child is a victim of bullying, you can fill out an bullying incident form here.

Click here to read the full letter.

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