Woodland M.S. students participate in unique workshop

Seventh-grade students at Woodland Middle School participated in a special Character Education/Human Diversity Awareness workshop featuring Paul D. Failla, a retired Suffolk County Police Officer and educational consultant.

Over a span of three periods, 7th graders listened raptly in Failla’s workshop. He used humor and drama to captivate his audience while presenting examples of societal prejudices and destructive decisions, and the harmful consequences of each. Topics such as positive role models, respect, diversity, values, dignity, leadership, profiling, racism and ridicule were also discussed.

Following the presentation, Failla visited Nick Jantz’s 8th grade students to follow up and reinforce the values they had learned at last year’s workshop. He performed a skit about a father whose son was convicted of armed robbery and the ensuing damage caused to the family by the son’s actions. He left the students by stating, “Today we reinforced some of the values in our lives. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be accountable for your actions.”

Failla has developed a unique array of programs relating to character education and other value-based topics geared towards middle and high school students. He was honored with the 2011 Nassau County BOCES Education Partner Award.