School Name: Rock Creek Forest Elementary School
School District: Montgomery County Public Schools
Grades Served: PreK-5
Years of Participation: 2020-2021; 2021-2022
ADL sat down with leaders at Rock Creek Forest ES to learn more about how they are implementing No Place for Hate®.
1.) Why did your school decide to participate in No Place for Hate?
No Place for Hate complements the Rock Creek Forest Elementary School’s commitment to excellence and equity. The lessons and learning experiences promote diversity, respect, and inclusion for all, regardless of race, gender, or (dis)ability. Rock Creek Forest Elementary School is the largest elementary school in Montgomery County’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster, home to more than 700 students, pre-kindergarten through grade 5 learning in multiple, specialized programs including PEP, Pre-K Inclusion, Autism, Focus and Spanish Immersion. Our students come from all over the world speaking many different languages. Together, with our outstanding faculty and staff, devoted families, and scholars, we work to make Rock Creek Forest Elementary School a model for the world.
2.) How has the decision to participate in No Place for Hate impacted your school environment?
Participating in No Place for Hate, supports a joyful and rigorous learning environment at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School. We celebrate diversity and are delighted that our scholars use vocabulary such as fair, equitable, and inclusion, proudly share their identities, commonalities, and differences, and stand up for each other, encouraging others to do the same.
3.) How do you engage students in leadership roles?
Rock Creek Forest Tigers are leaders at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School.
- Our 5th graders produce Tiger News Network (TNN) weekly, highlighting exciting learning and events across the school.
- The Green Team leads our work with sustainability and makes our school an environmentally friendly space.
- The Student Government Association honors the legacy of Dr. King through community service projects.
- The Media Center Team promotes literacy across the school.
- The Fantastic Friends program provides 5th graders with the opportunity to be peer mentors in our Autism program.
- Safety patrols, hallways monitors, teacher helpers, and ambassadors ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
At Rock Creek Forest, we hope to inspire each child to use their strengths to contribute to our school community through leadership roles.
4.) What advice would you give to other schools interested in pursuing No Place for Hate?
No Place for Hate has been an asset to our school. The response from our parents, students, and staff has been overwhelmingly positive. The No Place for Hate committee of faculty, staff and parents is a great way to seek stakeholder feedback and have the community come together to make positive changes in your school. The pre-approved activities from the ADL are wonderful resources and make the planning process easy. The investment in this program yields positive results for the school and larger community!