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October 2017
Confused and agitated. Those were the feelings of about a dozen third-grade students who were taught a lesson on inclusion and discrimination in their Viola L. Sickles School classroom that illustrated a painful point.
Asbury Park Press / Read Full Article
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october 2016
“I love how It’s OK to Be Different continues to evolve with the times and is still so relevant, addressing so many issues currently affecting today’s young children,” said Suzanne Butler, the program’s co-chair along with Suzanne Duffy. “The program has actually become more important than ever.”
Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect / Read Full Article
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September 2016
To raise kids with more empathy, we need to do everything wrong: This article puts the spotlight on the urgency of teaching children empathy at the earliest ages possible, which is exactly the important task It's OK to be Different executes. "It makes our children more likable, more employable, more resilient, better leaders, more conscience-driven, and increases their life spans." - Michele Borba, psychologist and author of UnSelfie: Why Empathic Kids Succeed In Our All-About-Me World
TIME Magazine / Read Full Article
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August 2020
The hope is that children will remember how discrimination made them feel and as a result, stand up against it.
The Journal / Read Full Article
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february 2019
Each unit includes class lessons, age-appropriate literature, as well as speakers who share their experiences with students, such as Sherlock Washington, who is blind and shows children his independence and abilities by using technology and his other senses, and Debbie Kaiser, who has Down Syndrome and promotes inclusion and respect for her uniqueness.
Atlantic Highlands Herald / Read Full Article
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april 2017
…during the Week of Respect, all Sickles students were given a letter “R” to decorate and display prominently in any location where they felt they needed a “respect” reminder.
Red Bank Green / Read Full Article