Mixing It Up at South Valley

The lunch tables at were decorated with team posters Wednesday–Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers. Students, who normally sit together as a class, were instead given tickets to sit at one of the sports-themed tables.

As the students, many wearing team jerseys or hats, filed into the cafeteria they compared their tickets with their friends. It was the school’s final Mix It Up Day of the year.

The program was so successful, South Valley was named a Mix It Up Model School by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program. South Valley was one of 52 schools, out of more than 3,000 participants and the only school in New Jersey, to receive the honor.

Maureen Ioannucci, the school’s guidance counselor, runs the program.

The program is about teaching tolerance and breaking down racial barriers and divisions seen with older students, Ioannucci said.

“It’s just as important at the elementary level,” she said. “This is where cliques begin. It’s also a nice way to get kids to break out of their shells.”

South Valley had three Mix It Up days during the 2010-11 school year. Each day had a theme and includes interactive questions.

“That’s part of it,” Ioannucci said. “They have to learn to intermingle with people who maybe don’t have the same ideas as they do.”

The students spent Wednesday’s lunch trying to figure out the answers to sports trivia questions. They had help from visitors John Comegno, counsel for the Board of Education and father to students Annie and Jack; and Bill Conaty, former NFL center and father of student Devin.

“This is a great example of how Mrs. Ioannucci and the staff address the development of interpersonal skills at a young age and at an age when kids can feel lost and left out,” Comegno said. “The district does a wonderful job of addressing interpersonal issues.”

The kids, however, just see the days as fun.

“You get to sit with different people and get to know them better,” said Sam Kirk, a third-grader.

“It’s really fun,” said Matthew Marzo, a third-grader. “You get to wear stuff that you wouldn’t normally wear.”

“I like that I can meet new friends at the table,” said second-grader Annie Comegno.

In addition to the Mix It Up days, South Valley has playground fun, the Golden Book and a public speaking program.

Playground fun is run by parents and has organized events such as arts and crafts, board games and an organized playground game like football. The program serves two purposes, Ioannucci said. It lets kids play with different kids and it involves kids who may be afraid to ask other kids to join in a game.

The Golden Book allows students to earn stickers for positive behavior at recess and in the lunchroom. Every student that is awarded a sticker gets his or her name on a gold board. At the end of the month, six students are chosen to have lunch with Ioannucci and Principal Leisa Karanjia. Lunch is donated by Chik-fil-A.

The public speaking program, run by Diane Harris, gives second- and third-graders the chance to share original poems and music with other students during lunch.

For Ioannucci, who has been at South Valley for four years, the programs have made a difference at the school.

“The kids are much more inclusive,” she said. “You see girls and boys playing together. It didn’t happen as often before the programs.”