April 10, 2018
Dear MHS Families,
As many of you know, our school-wide theme for the year is advocacy. It is a message that has certainly resonated with Miss Hall’s School students, as they have taken the theme to heart, advocating near and far, on campus, at Horizons sites, and in hometowns for causes and beliefs important to them.
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Most of you also no doubt know that a mass shooting occurred in February at a Florida high school where seventeen students, teachers, and staff were killed. In the weeks since, students around the United States have been vocal in calling for changes to gun laws, engaging in dialogue on gun violence and school safety, and rallying fellow students to support their efforts. MHS students have added their voices to the cause, speaking on panels and at rallies, and I myself last month
joined independent school leaders
from across New England in calling for elected representatives to take action to keep students safe from gun violence.
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On
April 20
, the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School, students across the United States are organizing school walkouts
to call attention to the issues of student safety, gun violence, and legislative reform
and, for the past several weeks, Miss Hall’s School students have been organizing their own planned walkout for that day. Please know that student leaders and those involved in organizing the event on campus have discussed their plans with administrators and other adults in the community, and we fully support the students’ initiatives to advocate thoughtfully, meaningfully, and purposefully on a topic of considerable importance to them.
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MHS students are eager to lend their voices to the discussion, and we encourage them to do so. After all, voice is one of the core competencies we wish to develop in a Miss Hall’s School graduate, and what better way to develop competency than by practice?
We are committed to experiential learning that allows students to develop their advocacy, and we thank you for supporting these efforts
.
As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
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Julia Heaton
Head of School
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Photos: Bella Currie '18 speaks at an anti-gun rally in Pittsfield; Jayme McGuigan '18 serves on the "Panel Forum on Gun Violence, School Shootings, Gun Safety, and Solutions."
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