Every October, each grade in Poly’s Lower School dons an assigned color and assembles in the Big Room to form a living Rainbow flag. Bright colors and ear-to-ear smiles are evident in the annual photo that records the day. Though the flag looked different this year, the sentiment was as strong as ever.

This year, because of social distancing, there was no in-person assembly, but that did not change the spirit of the day on October 2. Lower School joined with other schools around the country in celebrating Ally Week, which is a national event in which students learn what it means to support people who are bullied, ostracized, and/or harassed because they are different, particularly LGBTQ+ youth. 

Teachers took individual or outdoor photos of students. Nursery & Pre-Kindergarten wore violet. Kindergarten wore blue or indigo. First grade wore green and second grade wore yellow. Third grade wore orange and fourth grade wore red. 

Leading up to that day, Lower School teachers talked about what it means to support and stand up for people who are being bullied because they are perceived as being different. Third grade and fourth grade learned about the LGBTQ+ community, the history of Ally Week, and the significance of the Rainbow Flag.

As they do each year, the students recited a commitment to friendship, but this year in a virtual assembly promising to:

• Use kind words and thoughtful language when talking to classmates and teachers.
• Tell a teacher or an adult if I see any student doing hurtful things or hear any student using hurtful words.
• Learn more about people’s differences.
• Encourage other children to be friends and support children who may be different from them.