Incidents of racism and bullying have been problematic at Scituate High School in the past. Some of these incidents—specifically ones that occur on social media—may gain a lot more public attention, while others—merely whispering in the hallways—can fly under the radar.

Community-building clubs at Scituate High School, such as Allies Not Bystanders, Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), 1178, and the Anti-Racism Club, exist with the purpose of preventing these occurrences and helping the school community learn and grow from them. 

Currently, Allies Not Bystanders runs facilitations for freshmen and middle school classes to talk about bullying; unfortunately, the club hasn’t had the opportunity to visit Scituate’s four elementary schools. Arguably, elementary school students are at the most important stage of human development. Psychologists believe that by the age of seven, most of our patterns of behavior, beliefs, and habits are formed. Of course, our ideologies and opinions have room to change as we grow older and adapt to new environments; however, in elementary school, children develop important social and emotional skills that will carry them into adulthood. What kids hear from teachers, friends, and especially their family members, at these ages affects them tremendously. 

Since elementary school students will be entering middle school — and subsequently high school — in the upcoming years, it is important to reach out to them while they are still maturing, rather than when they have already entered SHS.

This year, the SHS Anti-Racism Club will pay a visit to Cushing Elementary School on Wednesday, April 27th. They will be working with grades K-5 while leading activities such as reading books and conducting class art projects with the students. President of the Anti-Racism Club, senior Ira Zhusti, says the objective of this visit is to “expose the students to conversations about inclusion and to foster a sense of community and belonging.” The club hopes this type of school project can continue as a club tradition, and even possibly a collaborative project with other clubs, so they can visit all of the Scituate elementary schools in the future.

According to Zhusti, everyone is welcome to join the club’s efforts, and any student interested in participating should attend the after-school meeting this Friday, April 1st, in room 132, as they finalize their plan and choose the books they will be reading to Cushing students. April 27th is a late start Wednesday, and the schedule will be DABEF. Students involved will meet at Cushing Elementary School before the 8:55 AM start of school. SHS students who participate will be missing their D block class. Those who take part can receive community service hours.