Hermon High School has been hosting a Challenge Day for members of its sophomore class for the past five years, and it has made a real difference in the school’s climate according to Hermon High Health Teacher Shelley Gavett and many students.
Shelley writes, “Challenge Day is simply amazing. As coordinator for Hermon’s Challenge Day it is always so powerful to watch a room full of students and adults who begin the day looking at each other one way and end the day feeling completely different. I know Hermon High School is a better place because of the Challenge day experience and I am grateful that the school district
and community support our efforts to encourage tolerance, acceptance, and a caring school atmosphere.”
One of the ways Hermon High School has made the most of their Challenge Day experience is by inviting selected juniors and seniors to attend Challenge Day as student facilitators. This has provided a real opportunity for leadership and has also allowed the sophomores to bond with their older peers, creating an informal mentoring relationship that lasts throughout the year.
Taylor Maynard, currently a Hermon High senior, reflects that, “Challenge day has touched my life in so many ways. I am a better person who sees the world differently. My eyes and heart have been opened to see and accept diversity. I feel a change in myself each time I think about Challenge Day. Although I am graduating this year, I plan to come back as an adult facilitator. I love knowing that I can be the change I wish to see in the world, and I am more than ready to take on that responsibility. Who knows, maybe I will be a Challenge Day ambassador forever!”
Hermon High School has already committed to continue their Challenge Day involvement for the fall of 2007, and Shelly and her enthusiastic students work on a regular basis to keep the spirit of Challenge Day alive in their school. The Gandhi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” is the motto for Challenge Day, and many Hermon students are determined to Be
the Change for their friends, school and community. |
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