Student leaders report on efforts to enhance belonging at PW

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students who are club leaders made quite a positive impression on School Board members during the Feb. 9 Community Relations/Student Life/Safety and Wellness Committee meeting, when they came to speak about initiatives they have taken on to make the high school a more welcoming place for all.

“Your voices and actions mean so much,” said Board President Beth Patruno. “We are so proud of the people you have become and you have brought so much goodness into our district and our community.”

The students were introduced by Dr. Melissa Figueroa-Douglas, Equity and Advancement Officer. They represented members of the Anti-Defamation League Peer Mentoring club, the Black Cultural Awareness club, the Hispanic Latinx Union, the Gay-Straight Alliance, the International Cultural Association, the Asian Student Association, the Jewish Student Union, and the Muslim Student Union.

Dr. Figueroa-Douglas has frequently reported on her meetings with students, which have been occurring as part of the district’s Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) efforts. This is the first time the students visited to share their thoughts on those gatherings, during which administrators and students have a conversation centered around three questions: what does the district do well, what can it do to improve students’ sense of belonging, and how can administration help students with their efforts. These discussions have led to positive changes within the high school community, as well as a feeling of gratitude from students who feel heard.

“This school district makes me feel proud to be a part of,” said Ailany Asencio, who belongs to the Anti-Defamation League Peer Monitoring group. 

Gian Villafane, who is a member of the Hispanic Latinx Student Union, was also complimentary about the support his club has received. He sought help in gaining more members, and reported that the group has doubled in size since the start of the school year, thanks to administration’s assistance and guidance in promoting the club. 

Addison Stein, a student who is a member of the Jewish Student Union, told the Board members she was thankful for the support her group members received last year after swastikas were found in a bathroom stall at the high school.

“I appreciate the district’s efforts to make sure we felt safe,” she said.

That incident led to her group getting involved with assigning a higher consequence to hate speech when it occurs in the school setting. 

Maryam Alsammak, a member of the Muslim Student Association, talked about the collaboration that took place when Muslim students raised concerns about halal food cross contamination. She noted that group members worked together with the Food & Nutrition Services Director to develop a solution that involved separate preparation areas and a color-coded system to identify foods. The group has also worked with high school administration to establish prayer rooms that Muslim students can use during the school day.

Still, students noted that there is more to be done. Morgan Crowther, a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, said that she would like to see more access to gender neutral bathrooms in the high school. Roman Horning, a member of the Black Cultural Awareness club, said he would like to see more efforts made to recruit black and African-American students to take Advanced Placement courses. 

“Advocating for black voices to take rigorous courses is important,” he said.

Gian added that he would like to see members of his group mentor younger English Language Learners in the district. 

Board member Tomas Santiago expressed support for that idea, noting that as a child, he had to learn English when he first came to the United States. He encouraged students to talk with children at the middle school level as well to encourage their younger peers to join clubs once they get to high school.

“It’s a joy to hear young people with great ideas,” he said. 

In addition to the in-person meetings with students, the district has administered the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) survey to middle school and high school students to see what areas the district might need to address. While survey results have indicated that students feel supported by teachers and staff, scores were not as high for peer-to-peer interaction. Board member Chris Epstein urged the students to suggest ideas for how that can be improved in the future.

Board member Rasheda Randall said she appreciated that students are being proactive, rather than reactive, and encouraged students to come back again in the spring to report again.

“I’d like to see how you are feeling in May before you graduate,” she said.