An Ohio high school has agreed to remove part of its dress code after parents complained it was discriminatory. In the dress code sent out to parents June 14, Horizon Science Academy (HSA) noted that “Afro-puffs and small twisted braids–with or without rubberbands–are NOT permitted.”
After receiving a number of complaints, the school sent out an updated dress code Saturday, removing the Afro-puffs ban. The school’s dean of students Jayson Bendik issued an apology for anyone offended by the dress code, noting the inclusion as an error. “We had no intention of creating any bias,” Bendik said. “We made a mistake and we fixed that mistake immediately.”
Bendik noted that other concept schools have been informed of the change. According to him, a committee oversees the dress code for the school, but overlooked the ban. “As soon as we found out, we took the necessary action and made a correction,” he said. According to its 2011-2012 annual report, 26 percent of the school’s K-7 students are African-American.
James Knight, an advisory-board member for the school, said the ban was targeted at the school’s Black male students in an effort to improve their appearance. “It had nothing to do with young ladies, young African-American ladies. It was really more so addressing young African-American men here at this school,” he told the Huffington Post. “We want to maintain a certain type of college prep culture here, and we just want the young men to be well-groomed.”
“This information has offended many people and by no means did we have any intention of creating bias toward any of our students,” a member of the HSA administration told The Morning Journal. “Furthermore, we are taking the matter seriously and again apologize for any offense it may have caused.”
article by Hannington Dia via newsone.com
The incarceration of a loved one can be very overwhelming for both children and caregivers. Sesame Street has jumped in to help. Called “Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration,” the program is distributing “tool kits’’ to schools, community centers and even jails in 10 states — including New York — starting today to help kids ages 3 to 8, organizers said.Here are some of the kit’s tips for parents and/or caretakers who are not in prison:
- Let your child know what to expect during everyday activities. Tell her who will take her to school and who will pick her up.
- Provide your child with a comfort item to keep during the day, such as a paper heart or family photo.
- Ask your child questions to help her open up. You might notice a negative behavior and say, “Did something happen today that made you feel sad?”
More tips: “Let your child know that the incarceration is not his fault….Let him know he’s not alone.” And here are tips for preserving a relationship between an incarcerated parent and child:
- Phone calls are a great way to keep in touch. Help your child think of things to tell her parent. Give her a picture of the parent to hold during the call.
- Use pen and paper to write letters. If your child can’t yet write, ask her to tell you what to write; she can draw pictures to go with the words.
- Televisiting can be helpful for some children. Sharing an everyday routine such as storytime during your televisit is a great way to be together.
The kit also includes a video episode about a young muppet named Alex whose dad is in jail. Check out the entire kit here.
article by Oretha Winston via elev8.com
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