Students learn about diversity, acceptance August 27, 2008 ·
Updated 4:48 PM ARLINGTON It started as a response to a hate
crime, but the annual Respect Summit has grown far beyond its
roots. After two Arlington teens burned a cross in a local black
pastors lawn four years ago, the Arlington School District saw
the need to integrate a message of mutual respect more fully
into the lives of its students. This year, the Linda Byrnes
Performing Arts Center hosted fourth- through 12th-grade Respect
Teams from schools throughout the district May 20, as they
reviewed their accomplishments toward promoting tolerance over
the course of the past school year, took part in exercises
designed to enlighten them about different societal perspectives
and set goals and prepared for the challenges of the next school
year. The Haller Middle School Marimba Band opened the event
with music from Africa, South America and the Caribbean, as
faculty band leader Joe Horsak emphasized the distinctions
between inherited culture and ident