Middle School Students Engage in Conversation on Healthy Relationships

On Tuesday morning, our Middle School community heard from two inspiring speakers from I Have The Right To, an organization that partners with schools, families, and students to build safer, more supportive communities through education, culture change, and practical tools. They deliver “age-based programming for K–12 schools, colleges, and universities on topics like respect, consent, healthy relationships, and digital safety.” In addition to our speakers, named below, Executive Director Katie Shipp and Co-Founder and Advisor Chessy Prout attended to support the program.

Keynote speakers Ray Epstein (Youth Engagement Coordinator) and James Smith-Williams (Retired NFL Player) engaged our Grades 6-8 students in an assembly format with engaging questions, prompts, roll play, and stories. They then met with our Grade 6 advisories to continue the conversation and to more deeply explore qualities of healthy vs unhealthy relationships, how to set appropriate boundaries with friends or acquaintances, and ways to support one another to build more respectful communities. 

The attached brochure gives you a taste of what the students enjoyed - including several students making sure to acquire James’s autograph!