This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Starting with ‘Hello’: Morgan School Hosts Week of Reaching Out

In the shadow of yet another senseless tragedy, this one at a Parkland, Florida, high school, The Morgan School is hosting a week of events to help combat the social isolation that some say contribute to school violence.

Called “Start with Hello” week, this week’s events are being run by the school’s Kindness Club and the Peer Advocates. The program guidelines are developed by The Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a non-profit organization formed after the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting. The group’s mission statement is to “prevent gun-related deaths due to crime, suicide, and accidental discharge so that no other parent experiences the senseless, horrific loss of their child.”

Jill Paglino, the program coordinator for Clinton Youth & Family Services and the Peer Advocates advisor, said the idea for the event was raised by a parent inspired by the Sandy Hook school community. The group was in a planning meeting for the event on Feb. 14 when news of the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida broke.

Paglino said that while some of SHP’s events are geared at gun control advocacy, the event at Morgan will have a different focus.

“This is not a gun control event, this is more about what kids can do to make schools safe and welcoming,” Paglino said.

Paglino said that studies show that people who experience a sense of social isolation are more likely to become depressed or lonely, which can be a contributing factor in school violence and suicide.

Paglino said that much of the week is aimed at encouraging kids to reach out to other students with whom they might not otherwise talk.

“Everyone has their routine of who they talk to. When I asked the kids, ‘Can you think of someone else who always seems isolated in school with nobody they talk to?’ every one could think of someone,” Paglino said.

One event to combat this during the week is an initiative that the school will participate in to ensure that nobody eats lunch alone.

“It’s a really simple idea, but it can be very powerful,” Paglino said.

Four students who helped plan the event, Taylor Marnett, Falyn McQuarrie, Jenna Scanlon, and Gavin Carlisle, provided a student’s perspective on the issues.

“Everyone should feel comfortable and safe to go to school,” Scanlon said.

The students all agreed that they do feel safe in The Morgan School, but admitted that violence in schools is something they are worried about.

“I think people are definitely freaked out,” Marnett said.

The students said that they hope the event helps spark students reaching out to other classmates with whom they may not normally speak, which they admit is hard.

“It takes a little getting used to,” Marnett said.

“We want to make everyone feel invited,” McQuarrie added.

“I feel like we can address this,” Carlisle said.

This is the first year that the event is being held in Clinton, and due to time constraints with the planning the event will only be held at The Morgan School. Paglino said that if the events are successful this year, the event could be a district wide event next year.

“SHP provides tons of material to make it a really big event,” Paglino said.