Mix It Up Model Schools embrace respect and inclusiveness as core values—they “mix it up” all year long. These schools have done an exemplary job of organizing, publicizing and implementing Mix It Up at Lunch Day. By sharing their recipes for success, Model Schools are beacons for other schools striving for inclusiveness.
The 2012-2013 Model School application period has ended. Check back next week to find out which schools were chosen to be this year's Mix It Up Model Schools!
The 2011/2012 Mix It Up Model Schools have met these criteria:
- They hosted a Mix it Up at Lunch Day in 2011 (it did not have to fall on national Mix Day, Oct. 18).
- They followed up with at least two additional programs or events on campus that sustained the spirit of Mix It Up.
- They included different members of the school community (e.g., cafeteria staff, aides, administration, teachers or students) to organize Mix It Up.
- They publicized Mix Day or celebrated inclusiveness with a variety of posters, announcements and other media.
- Their students and staff saw Mix It Up at Lunch Day as a success.
2011/2012 Mix It Up at Lunch Day Model Schools
Akimel A-al Middle School
Phoenix, Ariz.
Mix
It Up at Lunch Day participants at Akimel A-al received Mix It Up bracelets and were interviewed by
student reporters for a video aired the following week. Conversation starters helped students break
down barriers during the event.
Alamo Heights Junior High
School
San Antonio, Texas
Alamo Heights incorporates activities and games into their Mix It Up at Lunch
Day. Throughout the rest of the year, their Random Acts of Kindness Club keeps the spirit of Mix It
Up alive.
Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School
Essex Junction, Vt.
Student
planning and facilitation was the key to Albert D. Lawton's successful Mix It Up at Lunch Day.
Students were excited about participating in Mix It Up and other events, like Diversity Day, planned
by their peers.
Argyle High School
Argyle, Texas
Creative publicity—like Argyle's Mix It Up flashmob—build enthusiasm for Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Argyle students also formed small Among Friends groups to bring new people together outside of school.
Avonworth Middle
School
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Avonworth brought Mix It Up at Lunch Day into the classroom by discussing how
Mix It Up relates to the themes in The Outsiders, such as the impact of stereotypes, social groups,
and social boundaries. Students discussed how activities that break down social barriers might have
affected the characters in The Outsiders.
Bowen High School
Chicago, Ill.
During monthly Mix It Up at Lunch Days at Bowen, students
present poems, rap and sing about peace and love.
Broadway High School
Broadway, Va.
Broadway students turned out en masse for
Mix It Up at Lunch Day thanks to creative publicity like a Facebook blitz. Students are planning
more Mix It Up events to make their school a better place for everyone.
Cheney Middle
School
Cheney, Kan.
At Cheney, counselors works with students to plan and run Mix
It Up at Lunch Day. With at least two additional Mix It Up Lunches during the year, Linda Patterson
reports that "Cheney does an excellent job of putting students in situations where they have to get
to know each other and work together."
Chimacum Middle School
Chimacum, Wash.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day helped Chimacum improve its school climate. Student anti-bullying groups
like FOR Change and weekly anti-bullying guidance sessions encourage an increasingly inclusive
learning environment.
Clayton Downing Middle School
Flower Mound, Texas
Clayton Downing's Mix It Up Club energized the campus by weaving a
Halloween theme through Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The excitement continues throughout the year with
events like Re-Mix It Up Day and No Name Calling Week.
Deerfield Elementary
School
Deerfield, Mass.
Deerfield has lots of tips to share after 8 years of participating in Mix It
Up at Lunch Day. Sixth graders take on leadership roles in organizing and facilitating Mix It Up at
Lunch Day and supporting events, like monthly assemblies.
Dent Middle
School
Columbia, S.C.
One Mix-It-Up at Lunch day isn't enough for Dent Middle School. They maintain
the Mix-It-Up spirit all year long through events like Cuckoo for Color and a parent's
luncheon.
East Rockford Middle School
Rockford, Mich.
The East Rockford No Place for
Hate Committee planned the school's Mix It Up at Lunch Day, and student leaders facilitated the
event. Planners gave students some flexibility about where they sat, encouraging greater
participation while still mixing it up.
Eastland Career & Technical High School
Groveport, Ohio
Student ambassadors from
Eastland Career and Technical's Diversity Club visited classrooms to tell other students about Mix
It Up at Lunch Day. The learning will continue with a diversity forum in the spring.
Ellis School
Freemont, N.H.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day is the final event of No Name Calling Week at Ellis.
Students participate in pre-event Mix It Up activities, and fun publicity--like a flash mob--gets
kids involved.
The Episcopal Academy (Middle School)
Newton Square, Pa.
Students at The Episcopal Academy
start organizing months before each of their Mix It Up events. They include advisory activities,
class discussions and games that precede and follow Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Their Diversity Director
says, “The lesson I continue to learn is to never underestimate the power of collective voices and
positive energy.”
Evergreen Elementary School
Diamond Bar, Calif.
Evergreen
Student Council members created conversation starters that made their Mix It Up at Lunch Day a huge
success. Other events, like a student rally, continue to remind students of the importance of
acceptance.
Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School
Burlington, Vt.
Peer Leadership
students at Frederick H. Tuttle were very involved in planning Mix It Up at Lunch Day. They gave a
lunch presentation and created a Mix It Up icebreaker video, among other unique
contributions.
Gildersleeve
Middle School
Newport News, Va.
To keep the Mix It Up at Lunch conversation going, students and staff at
Gildersleeve organized a "Chat and Chew" anti-bullying assembly. Student and adult panels answered
questions about the impact of bullying on schools.
Grafton Middle School
Grafton, Mass.
Grafton revved kids up for Mix It Up at
Lunch Day by showing a student-produced video the day before the event. Students also participated
in a "Be a Buddy, Not a Bully" poster and essay contest.
Guerneville School
Guerneville, Calif.
Guerneville has been Mixing It
Up since 2001. With creative activities like face painting, dancing and sidewalk chalk art, kids
have many opportunities to move out of their comfort zone and meet someone new.
Hackberry Hill Elementary
School
Arvada, Colo.
Students at Hackberry Hill Mixed It Up at both lunch and recess. Students drew
sidewalk chalk pictures, played with bubbles and bowled to cement new friendships formed during
lunchtime Mix It Up activities.
Harrison High School
Harrison, Ark.
The Diversity Council at Harrison is 50-students strong. They work together to plan Mix It Up at Lunch Day as part of a broader Diversity Week. Activities like the wall of intolerance show the importance of crossing social boundaries.
Hawley Middle School
Hawley, Texas
Counselor Nellie Martin-Tillman says Mix It Up at Lunch Day is "one of the funnest days of the entire school year!" Hawley students performed skits and participated in a scavenger hunt as part of the festivities leading up to the main Mix It Up at Lunch event.
Immaculate Conception School
Columbia, Ill.
The Immaculate Conception
School mixes students from kindergarden through 12th grade during Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Students
and staff create paper doll versions of themselves. At the end of the event, the dolls are taped
together and and hung in the cafeteria for everyone to appreciate.
Indian Hills Middle
School
Sandy, Utah
Unique activities help make Mix It Up at Lunch Day special at Indian Hills. In
February, students search out unfamiliar classmates to sign their paper hearts and share a unique
character trait. The school also brings in a cultural educator from a local university to help with
activities.
J.W. Alvey Elementary School
Haymarket, Va.
For Mix It Up at Lunch Day,
J.W. Alvey Student Leadership League members partnered with special needs students. They formed such
strong friendships that the pairs continue to meet on a weekly basis of their own
accord.
Jane Addams Middle School
Lawndale, Calif.
Mix It Up at Lunch day is an
important part of Jane Addams' year-long anti-bullying program. Students make anti-bullying collages
and are eligible for the Better Bengal Award, which promotes random acts of kindness on
campus.
James Quinn Elementary School
Dartmouth, Mass.
Mix It Up at Lunch
Day involves the entire James Quinn community--from parents to cafeteria workers. Laura O'Neil, a
school social worker, says Mix It Up "helps everyone to respect differences, create new friendships,
demonstrate respect and have fun while doing it!"
Kemps Landing Magnet School
Virginia Beach, Va.
Kemps Landing Magnet School students mixed it up with a
human scavenger hunt last year. Tracking down people with different life experiences allowed
students to engage in conversations, laugh and have a great time with people they normally wouldn't
interact with.
Kerhonkson Elementary School
Kerhonkson, N.Y.
A
schoolwide assembly featuring Todd Parr's The Peace Book kicked off Mix It Up at Lunch Week
at Kerhonkson. Teachers also shared a variety of Mix It Up classroom activities with their
students.
Lakota East Freshman Campus
Liberty Township, Ohio
Upperclassman helped facilitate Mix It Up at Lunch Day activities at Lakota East. Students got to
know each other during a full week of Mix It Up activities.
Livingston Elementary School
Union, N.J.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day was a
natural follow-up to Livingston's existing recess activities in which children are asked to play
with peers they have not previously interacted with. Mix It Up helped students understand the
importance of getting to know other children who may by shy or picked on and sit alone at
lunch.
Longfellow Elementary School
Iowa City, Iowa
October was Celebrating Diversity
Month at Longfellow, and Mix It Up at Lunch Day was a key event. Mix-It-Up Monkeys (student council
members with monkey hats) and parent volunteers facilitated the Mix It Up
activities.
Lynn English High School
Lynn, Mass.
Lynn English
Mixes It Up at dinner. The event is completely student planned and facilitated, and everyone from
the school community is invited. Local businesses give their support and turn the dinner into a true
community occasion promoting an inclusive school environment.
M.O.T. Academy
Miami, Fla.
Mix It
Up at Lunch Day was initiated by the Student Council at M.O.T. Student leaders visited every
classroom prior to the event to explain Mix It Up. Because the event was planned and executed by
students, participation was enthusiastic.
Manning Elementary School
Westmont, Ill.
The WE CAN Club
facilitated Mix It Up at Lunch Day at Manning by circulating among tables and asking students
questions about things they might have in common, such as "What do you do on your
birthday?"
Margaret Hudson Program
Broken Arrow, Okla.
Students at the Margaret Hudson
Program make every day a Mix It Up Day. Upperclassman strive to help younger students. During the
official Mix It Up at Lunch event, students write acts of kindness they have experienced on strips
of paper and form a chain that runs the length of the halls.
Mary E. Roberts
Elementary School (part of Moorestown Twp Public Schools)
Moorestown, N.J.
The young students at Mary E
Roberts particularly enjoyed getting to know new friends through interview-style questions during
Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The school also participates in many other events like No Name Calling Week
and Random Act of Kindness Week.
Mercy Vocational High School
Philadelphia, Pa.
A Mix It Up Team comprised of
11th graders met with Theology Department Head Mary Anne Campellone for the month leading up to Mix
It Up at Lunch Day. She credits these regular meetings with the success of their
event.
Millard North High School
Omaha, Neb.
The Millard North High School Lunch
Bunch makes everyday a Mix It Up at Lunch Day by pairing positive peers with new or lonely students
at lunch. Inclusion activities also take place during Diversity and Equality
Week.
Monterey Highlands School
Monterey Park, Calif.
Mix It Up at Lunch day was a success
at Monterey Highlands --such a success, that students and staff organized a Positivity Picnic for
the whole school where students and staff could discuss topics like inclusion and
generosity.
Mount View Middle School
Marriottsville, Md.
Twenty student
leaders helped plan Mix It Up at Lunch Day at Mount View. The event featured a student-made
slideshow highlighting student successes of the year and culminating in a flash mob. "Teachers and
students had a blast together," said Katie Rusu.
Mountlake Terrace High
School
Mountlake Terrace, Wash.
Mountlake Terrace loves to Mixes It Up. Students can join the Mix It Up at
Lunch Club to participate in monthly activities promoting inclusion. Members wear brightly colored
t-shirts to show their enthusiasm for including students that may feel disconnected from their
peers.
Mystic Middle School
Mystic, Conn.
Students at Mystic get out of their comfort zone during Mix It
Up at Lunch Day. Students fill out Mix It Up pledges in their homerooms and turn them in during the
lunch event. The homeroom with the most pledges gets a pizza
party.
Number Five School
Cedarhurst, N.Y.
Assemblies, classroom activities and community
outreach efforts extend the spirit of Mix It Up at Lunch Day throughout the entire year at Number
Five. Parents are encouraged to talk to students about their experiences with social cliques and
taking risks to make new friends.
Opportunities For
Learning
Pomona, Calif.
OFL students used creative activities like a raffle and poster contest to
involve students in Mix It Up at Lunch Day last year.
Omro Middle School
Omro, Wis.
At Omro, members of the 7th grade Embracing
Diversity class organize Mix It Up at Lunch Day for both their peers and students at the nearby
elementary school. It is a chance for them to hone leadership skills and teach other children about
the importance of breaking down social boundaries.
Onesimo Hernandez Elementary School
Dallas, Texas
Students at Onesimo Hernandez
have learned to respect and accept one another for who they are. On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, children
choose from a variety of games that help break down social boundaries.
Palm Elementary School
Austin, Texas
On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, Palm Elementary
students play games and color with children they normally don't socialize with. The Mix It Up spirit
pervades the school again during Anti-Bullying Week, when each student must commit a random act of
kindness.
Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School
Plainview, N.Y.
Unique
activities like Peace Pong and Team Hula Hooping inspired students to participate in Plainview
Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy's Mix It Up at Lunch Day. VIP speakers were invited to lead discussions
in individual classrooms, and details like world music and dancing built enthusiasm among the
students.
Pleasant Ridge Middle
School
Stilwell, Kan.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day comes once a month at Pleasant Ridge. Student and staff
involvement is documented in a constantly rotating display of photos, inspirational posters and
announcements about upcoming Mix It Up events.
Pointers Run Elementary
School
Clarksville, Md.
Fifth grade student leaders organized Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The event was
such a success that students are organizing a second Mix It Up event in the
spring.
Public School
#1
West New York, N.J.
In addition to Mix It Up at Lunch Day, Public School #1 holds a Library Game Day
where students are encouraged to move from game to game meeting new people and initiating
friendships.
Raynham Middle School
Raynham, Mass.
Raynham took the Mix It Up at Lunch Day message to the entire community by holding a town meeting
to dicuss social issue--like bullying--that affect their school.
Reno Valley Middle School
Hutchinson, Kan.
Students and staff at Reno Valley
take bullying seriously. Their Anti-Bullying Task Force uses creative projects like stained glass
images promoting tolerance and a "tolerance walk" in their courtyard to extend the Mix It Up message
of inclusion through the year.
Roosevelt Intermediate School
Westfield, N.J.
Students at Roosevelt participate in an
annual Week of Respect around Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The highlights last year were a live
eighth-grade band and fun ice-breaker activities.
Sebago Elementary
School
Sebago, Maine
Monthly Together Groups at Sebago work on community projects to sustain the
spirit of Mix It Up at Lunch Day throughout the year.
Seneca Valley Middle School
Harmony, Pa.
Seneca Valley teacher Thomas Donati says Mix It Up at Lunch Day "really gives [students] a different outlook on life!" Follow-up activities the day after the event give students a chance to reflect.
Sharon High
School
Sharon, Mass.
"The success of Mix It Up Day at Sharon is a result of enthusiastic
participation/collaboration by those involved, including students, teachers, administration,
families and staff," says Asst. Principal Mary Trahan. Students keep the Mix It Up spirit going
through events like Random Acts of Kindness Month and an Anti-Defamation League
program.
Shorewood Intermediate School
Shorewood, Wis.
Every day is Mix It Up at Lunch Day at Shorewood. During the first semester, students
were seated in the cafeteria according to a rotating schedule that put different students together
each day. For the main Mix It Up event, staff members participated and each table was provided with
conversation starters.
Smithfield High
School
Smithfield, R.I.
Smithfield holds Mix It Up at Lunch Day as a compelement to Rachel's Challenge.
Other student-planned events, like Respect Day, continue the Mix It Up spirit throughout the
year.
South Valley Elementary
School
Moorestown, N.J.
South Valley kicks off Random Acts of Kindness Week with a Mix It Up at Lunch
Day. The entire community is involved in this and other school events promoting inclusion and
kindness.
St. Gregory College Preparatory
Tucson, Ariz.
At St. Gregory, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade Peace Ambassadors plan and facilitate monthly
Mix It Up at Lunch Days. Peer-led activities are the key to their events' success.
Stella Maris
La Jolla, Calif.
Collaborating and working together as a team was what really helped make Mix it Up at Lunch Day successful at Stella Maris. Student Council members organized and facilitated the event.
Street School
Tulsa, Okla.
The key to Mix It Up success at Street School
was student planning--from start to finish. Participants were organized into small groups so trust
could be established and effective, honest communication take place.
Sunset Ridge Elementary School
Glendale, Ariz.
Sunset Ridge is a six-year Mix It Up at Lunch veteran. They hold their event as part of Friendship
Week every February. The week is full of activities that teach students how to accept each other's
differences.
The Seven Hills School Doherty
Cincinnati, Ohio
Monthly Mix It Up at Lunch Days
help decrease the number of negative peer interactions at the Seven Hills and allow students to
connect with peers they might not interact with otherwise, says teacher Regina
Daily.
Toll Middle
School
Glendale, Calif.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day goes global at Toll. Students are handed airline tickets
when they enter the cafeteria directing them to tables representing different destinations. Mix It
Up has made students aware of what bullying is and how to look out for it, says ASB Director Sarah
Strange.
Tucker
Transition
Long Beach, Calif.
During Tucker's community-based Mix It Up at Lunch Day, each student
created a "brick" describing a time when they were hurt by another's words. Students then used these
bricks to build a "wall of intolerance" showing how social boundaries separate people.
Welsh Valley Middle School
Narberth, Pa.
Students at Welsh Valley start
each year with an anti-bullying barbecue. Their enthusiasm for making the school an inclusive
environment shows during Mix It Up at Lunch Day, which includes lunch-time mixers, an assembly and
classroom activities.
West Ranch High School
Stevenson Ranch, Calif.
Students at West Ranch participated in a
Mix It Up picnic and jam session. They brought musical instruments and made new friends. Throughout
the week, other events--like a dodgeball tournament, conga line and flashmob--carried on the Mix It
Up message.
Willow Bend Elementary School
Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Willow Bend's multiple Mix
It Up at Lunch Days and assemblies are working. After the events, one student reported, "I met a
friend named Meha. Her mom was born in the same village as my mom. So from that day forward, me and
Meha were friends too!"
Windham Middle School
Windham, Maine
A Civil Rights Team of students
organize, publicize, and facilitate Mix It Up at Lunch Day at Windham. Students were seated at
tables with challenges and puzzles that required everyone's participation; winners received a prize
and sat together again the following day.
Windsor Elementary School
Des Moines, Iowa
Windsor paired older children
with younger children for Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Students also created T-shirts highlighting
students' uniqueness and similarities.
Woodland Middle School
East Meadow, N.Y.
Woodland recently included students on
its Social Emotional Literacy (SEL) Committee that plans Mix It Up at Lunch Day
activities--including a spirit week leading up to the event and post-event activities. This student
involvement was exciting to both organizers and participants.
YES Prep
Southwest
Houston, Texas
At YES Prep Southwest, No Mess/No Hate Week was a flurry of activity. Mix It
Up at Lunch Day was a key event, as was the poetry/essay contest and the giant unity dance. Students
also organized a Middle School conference on cyber-bullying, leadership, responsibility and
respect.
