Marauder Family Connect - October

On this coming Wednesday October 2nd families are invited to join us for our fall Open House. We are using a more drop in style approach for this event, beginning at 6:00 pm with a welcome presentation in the gym, followed by an open window of time for families to pop into classrooms to meet your child's teachers at whatever pace works best for you. The event will conclude at 7:30 pm.

October is a busy month with various school spirit and holiday activities that sometimes involve the use of costumes or theme related dress. In response to some recent feedback from students, I want to offer some guidance around costumes and spirit week events that may involve cultural themes or elements.

At Mariner our diversity is a strength because it is something we honor and celebrate and because we aim to do so in ways that feel respectful and affirming to everyone in our learning community. There is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. Students and families are asked to be mindful of this as you consider how you dive in to the various events and activities offered this month.

Cultural Appreciation involves learning about other cultures, connecting with folks from those cultures and honoring those cultures in respectful ways.  

Cultural appropriation on the other hand, involves taking aspects of another culture and using them in ways that are trivial or superficial, often for attention, humor, or sometimes profit.

At Mariner, one of the ways we live out our commitment to relationships and to equity is to make sure we are honoring culture, not appropriating it. Please avoid costumes and themes that may invoke negative stereotypes or the misuse symbols of another's culture. The blue button below labeled "My Culture is Not a Costume" will take you to a short video from Teen Vogue with some specific examples about what we are talking about. Thanks for your attention and consideration.

This month our school will be focusing on suicide prevention. On October 28 school staff will teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are once again using the SOS Signs of Suicide curriculum. We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn. 

When teens are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, it is common for them to turn to each other. This is why it’s important for every student to know when to ACT.

How to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell):

Students will learn to look out for warning signs of suicide, such as:

If they spot signs of suicide in themselves or a friend:

Students are encouraged to reach out to a trusted adult at school or home. Keep communication lines open by:

Please remember that student’s and families can contact our Counseling Secretary at 425-366-5715 to schedule an appointment with their School Counselor. Students can also visit during drop-in hours (before/after school and both lunches). Counselors are available via email, phone, Schoology, and ParentSquare.

A-De: Ms. Centeno

Df-Ja: Mrs. Dittemore

Jb-M: Ms. Townsend

N-Sam: Ms. Wilson

San-Z: Dr. Horrocks

College & Career Readiness Counselor: Mr. Dillon

https://ma.mukilteoschools.org/60868_3

Mariner High School is committed to providing quality educational services to all students and their families, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, language, abilities, socioeconomic status, country of origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. We are committed to promoting a vision for public education that advances inclusiveness, equity, and racial and social justice in our schools and society. 

Over the past two years, a group of Mariner staff, parents, and students have been taking a deep look at how we have, and have not, been meeting the needs of ALL of our community members and what we can do to better live out our vision. One way that we are seeking to improve is by establishing and maintaining stronger relationships with families and community members to better address the needs of our students. We will be seeking your input this year, through a variety of opportunities, and we hope you will join us in this important work. If you are interested in learning more, please email our team facilitator, Janella Riegel.