SDA unites against threats to the school’s values at Unity Lunch

In response to recent vandalism and the harm its caused to SDA’s sense of community, seniors Katie Pruden and Mila Roemer organized a unity lunch complete with free pizza, speeches by various staff members, students, the superintendent, and thank-you-letter-writing today. 

Originally, the event was created to recognize SDA’s custodial staff and appreciate the work they’ve done to make this school a better place. Superintendent Robert Haley, who began his career as a custodian, urged students to thank maintenance staff in his short speech to attendees. “Please take the time when you see a custodian doing his or her job to actually say thank you. Look them in the eye and thank them for what they do because they love the schools that they keep safe and clean,” he said.

While the Unity Lunch achieved its goal of promoting gratitude for custodial staff, it also evolved into a celebration of SDA’s values and community. Principal Adam Camacho said, “We hope that we can provide the experience for you to come to school on a daily basis and feel emotionally safe and physically safe so that you can express who you are and who you’re trying to become.”

Freshman Mia Racine, who delivered a speech about her appreciation towards SDA, said later, “I love that this school acknowledges issues that come up completely.” The Unity Lunch provided the perfect opportunity for students to come together and share what aspects of SDA make them happy

“The goal,” says Pruden, “was to get people of all grades to come together, eat pizza, and have a fun time while acknowledging the good things about SDA.”