Dade County Middle School will hold a Cultural Revolution Sorting Ceremony on Friday, from 12:30-3 p.m. The program is being started to combat bullying and hazing.
Officials said, "At Dade Middle School, we see bullying and hazing as a result of students not having the proper interpersonal tools to engage one another in purposeful and positive relationships. Rather than be reactive, we at Dade Middle School want to be proactive. In doing so we have drilled down to what we believe to be a key ingredient in producing positive and purposeful relationships - connectivity.
"In our sorting ceremony this Friday we will randomly sort all of our students (grades 6-8) into four 'houses.' Each student at Dade Middle School will be called by name to run through an obstacle course. Upon completion of the course they will be given a t-shirt that will identify the 'house' they will be a part of until they leave Dade Middle School. Each of the four different t-shirts have been designed by the student body with unique symbols and colors to identify the 'house.' After the students put on their shirts and have been placed in their 'houses', they will play competitive games in their houses and begin the process of earning points as they work together.
Once the sorting ceremony is complete the house system will be put into place.
The students will meet as houses twice a month for intentional team building activities. School officials will specifically focus on relationship building using unconventional activities.
Officials said, "This 'house' approached will be a paradigm shift for faculty and students as we will no longer use the labels that are often assigned to kids - athletic, well behaved, discipline problem, special ed etc. By objectively selecting students to be in relationship houses, we will give them a clean slate and begin to identify them by their house and by their character not by their behavior. This will also result in building positive and affirming relationships among kids as they get to know each other without labels. Within time our houses will be broken up into dens. Eventually every students at DMS will be apart of a small groups consisting of 10- 15 students.
"We understand the challenge before us as we strive to prevent bullying and hazing in a society that is sadly predisposed for both to flourish. Over a year of student and teacher planning has gone into this paradigm shifting transition."
This Friday at 1:15 PM will be the launch of a new beginning for Dade Middle School and we would welcome your press coverage and the opportunity to answer questions and explain in further detail how we plan to achieve a true bully free school.