By: Ella Marrufo, Kate Gruetter, and Saya Alvares
Editors-in-Chief and People Editor
LGHS students who hear the word “MOSAIC” know it for what it is: an informative session on a topics such as sexual assault awareness, bullying prevention, substance abuse, and healthy relationships, that takes place during Tutorial. Implemented at the start of the 2022 school year, MOSAIC, which stands for “Making Our School An Inclusive Community,” expands far beyond the single Tutorial session once a month. The teachers who pilot MOSAIC helped explain the origins and intentions they have for the program, as well as the positive impact it has had on the school. Ms. Pacheco and Mr. Clark described the process they went through creating the program, the resources provided, and its impact on our community. Additionally, LGHS district Title IX coordinator Megan Farrell added insight on resources for sexual assault and harassment with Assistant Principal Kristi Grasty.
Why was MOSAIC created and how did you become involved?
Pacheco: I think my journey with social emotional learning really starts with yoga . . . I ended up getting my teacher training for yoga with an organization that taught in schools and it really talks a lot about how to bring wellness into schools. I think a natural extension of that was MOSAIC and trying to bring wellness to kids in the classroom. . . I just wanted to give that to people. I feel like it’s a gift really. I think those were kind of my big why’s for MOSAIC and how MOSAIC evolved. We’re just building on what the teachers did in past years.
Clark: For me, what MOSAIC is trying to do is create the best possible experience for the kids in our community for the time that they’re here, and hopefully it expands beyond that. There’s a time where academics have to be the priority, but also — because we house and nurture hundreds of kids that are living a full, rich life that doesn’t just include the school — we need to be able to engage them and help them through difficult moments, or at least be able to point them in the direction of resources. You know, I think it’s an important part of what the school offers.
How does MOSAIC address issues on and off campus?
Clark: There’s a lot of support available for things that pass through the school that aren’t necessarily the responsibility of the school, you know? And that’s really what one of the core missions, I believe, of MOSAIC is — making sure that kids know that they are cared about, they are supported, and there’s a lot of ways to address certain issues that they may be carrying around with them that happen outside of school.
I also think the real value is in actually having those discussions and continued ongoing engagement with the broader community about, like, “Hey, parents, we need your help on this issue that we see at school,” and the parents being able to say, “We see these issues,” and being responsive and creating the best possible environment for [the students].
Is MOSAIC truly effective?
Pacheco: Some teachers aren’t doing it and some kids aren’t paying attention. But if you can just reach out to one kid and save one life that could mean something. . .You never really know who you’re going to affect. . .[Even after the bullying MOSAIC] there were new reports to administration about things that were happening.
Clark: I look out at my class and I’m talking about drugs, right? And I’m talking about fentanyl deaths — something we should 100% be addressing — but I know that almost every kid in the room is like, “Look, I don’t take pills.”
So for me, we’re really just trying to support the few kids that are going to have these adverse circumstances or opportunities to make better choices. And if it takes us talking to everybody, then I think it’s worth the time that it takes. So that’s how I rationalize it or justify it in my mind.
Grasty: [Since MOSAIC’s creation], there have been more reports overall and to the Wellness Center since the training has been given. Whether or not it’s a correlation from MOSAIC that caused people to come in, I like knowing that students come in, even if they’re not sure if something may or may not have happened, even if it doesn’t rise to the level of a violation of Title IX policy. It’s good that statistically since MOSAIC, more people have come forward and spoken up if necessary.
What resources are available to students?
Farrell: Safety measures take form in all sorts of ways. What I find is sometimes people report something later and we find out that this has been going on for three or four months and the student has avoided going to school or skipped exams. We then work with teachers to make sure that they retake tests or submit a paper late.
Grasty: What a lot of students want is the idea of physical safety on campus. We implement safety measures for walking and avoidance in classes — anything we can do to make sure the student feels physically safe at school. We also take advantage of our mental health professionals that are in the Wellness Center, and if people don’t want to use those resources, we work to find resources outside.
For students to understand and utilize MOSAIC to its fullest extent, it is essential for them to know the names and motives that brought the program to life. Recognizing the hard work, care, and dedication that goes on behind the scenes is necessary to create familiarity and encourage students to use the resources provided. The teachers and staff members mentioned, along with many others, have a whole-hearted passion for helping students and addressing issues both on and off campus, and they need to be recognized for making our school a better, safer place. Ms. Pacheco highlighted that, as students, we “must be open minded and know that if you’re open minded, it might make a difference for one person to save one life. Prevent one suicide, or one overdose from fentanyl, or prevent one sexual assault. It’s worth it if it does it just once.”
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