Greetings QPA readers! As you all may know Queens Preparatory Academy, along with the New York City Department of Education, prioritizes making the school environment the safest possible for all students and staff. The ‘Respect for All’ program, developed by the NYCDOE, is a program meant to re-implement the importance of inclusion, diversity and overall respect among all. The DOE began this program in 2007, granting days February 10-14 to be the time to shed light on the matter.
QPA began recognizing ‘Respect for All‘ last year, thanks to the support of Principal Gumbs, and the administration by our Special Education Teacher and Culture and Community Coordinator, Mrs. Labony Khan.
The Respect for All program is meant to establish the means of respect between each and every student and teacher alike. It reinforces the idea that all should be accepted, no matter their culture, religions, or personal differences. Mrs. Khan shared that she believes RFA “creates unity and an inclusive environment,” and that it “promotes Social Emotional Learning among all students and staff.”
This week QPA’s students and teachers will be taking part in activities meant to promote the ideals of RFA. Our eleventh grade students, in particular, will be engaging in a fierce journalism-based competition. They have been given a prompt on the matter of social justice and will be competing to see who can produce the best article, with the winner having their very own piece published on qpalit.
We are ecstatic to see what QPA does with Respect for all! There is hope that this program, among many, will continue to better the social and emotional well-being of students, teachers and the overall environment. What are your thoughts on Respect for All? How do you think this program will affect you? Be sure to let us know by leaving a comment below.
