The Lyme School S.A.G.E. (Sexuality and Gender Equality) Group meets weekly with a group of staff advisors during a middle school morning break time. ALL are welcome, which is the first of our group developed agreements (see below) which are shared/reiterated when new folks attend meetings.
Our Group Agreements
- Anybody can come!
- Be respectful
- Try to understand and accept people as they are
- SNACKS FOR ALL (be reasonable)
- Everything that happens in here is for everyone (no in-group/out-group)
- Disagreement are OK, but be respectful
- Be inclusive and open to what others say
- Be mindful of each other's experiences and stories
- Tell people if they do or say something hurtful so they won’t do it again
- Acknowledge and apologize if you made a mistake and move on
- Respect people’s identities and pronouns
- Don't assume someone’s identity
- Each person knows who they are better than anyone else
(Tapestry made by Cindy Maliniak - Mrs. Stanton's mom!)
Many of our meetings have been low-key social connection times to unwind and chat in a safe space. We've also addressed complex topics such as inclusivity at the Lyme School, activity nights, pronouns, gender identity, trans-awareness week, coming out, being an ally, and more. These conversations have been both teacher guided and spontaneous. (Many thanks to the PTO for sponsoring snacks.)
This week we had the pleasure of sharing our time together with a Lyme School alum, who shared her experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community at the Lyme School and as a high school student. Lyme students respectfully listened and asked questions. (And debated if there are more windows or doors in the world - one of our less structured topics of conversation!)
In the future, we will welcome members of Within, from Dartmouth, to have lunch with S.A.G.E. members. "Within is a group dedicated to LGBTQ+ activism on and off campus, as well as organizing social spaces for LGBTQ+ students."
We welcome anyone interested in connecting with us about our group to email our advisors: Becky Neuroth, Rachel Stanton, Lisa Damren, and Emily Girdwood.