District officials urged to curb bullying

and making fun of her.

Her straight-A student keeps asking if she could be home-schooled, or if they could move to another district, she added.

Ms. Suppo said her daughter did not want to come with her to the meeting because “all those grown-ups do is talk.”

Robert A. Boudreau, founder and conductor of the American Wind Symphony, recounted several stories of discrimination faced by African-American musicians he worked with over the years, and said such discrimination should not occur in this day and age, and in Mars Area.

“We must teach our children to love and care for each other. Mars is too wonderful of a place,” he said. “We can’t say we can’t. We have to say we can, and we will.”

Last week, superintendent Wesley Shipley announced that the district will bring in Rachel’s Challenge, an anti-bullying program started in honor of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., on April 20, 1999.

But some speakers urged the district to put together its own program, as was done under former superintendent James Budzilek.

Parent Janet Parham said that diversity program involved a committee that met every month with teachers, administrators and support staff to talk about issues. Every school made a diversity banner, and each student was involved in making the banners. High school students made a diversity video.

“Everybody was involved. It wasn’t a consulting firm coming in and saying ‘do this,’” she said. “Get the children involved. Get the parents involved because it is a community problem, not just the school.”