Erin Gruwell has become an important part of our school community.
The beloved teacher turned author who used writing to encourage her troubled students to express themselves in a new way, returned to the Westmoreland Central School District on August 19 and 20 for New Teacher Orientation.
Gruwell is the author of the bestselling book, “The Freedom Writers Diary.” The book tells the story of Gruwell and her 150 at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California during the early 1990s. Her students, originally labeled as “unteachable,” lived in a racially divided community filled with drugs, gang warfare and homicides. The racial division - - and the hostility, indifference and tension that came with it - - spilled into the classroom. 
Determined to create a brighter future for her students, Gruwell turned to writing and literature to persuade them to embrace history, humanity and hope. She specifically used literature to compare the turmoil of the time to some of the worst examples of human’s inhumanity towards one another. Her students were particularly inspired by the writings of Anne Frank during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Elie Wiese, a young boy who, along with his father, was imprisoned in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald, and Zlata Filipovic, a young girl who lived through the horrors of the Bosnian War. The parallels to their own lives emboldened Gruwell’s students to write their own journals, becoming a form of solace. When the students anonymously read each other’s journals, division was replaced with unity and understanding. As a result, the “Freedom Writers” were born.
New Teacher Orientation is designed to introduce new educators to the culture of the Westmoreland Central School District. Speaking from experience, Kevin Healy, director of pupil personnel/curriculum at Westmoreland, says too often, new teachers are focused on what and how they are going to teach. However, he adds it is in the best interest of everyone to focus on students.
“If students come in and feel like they are not part of the school community, then learning will not be their first priority regardless of how good a teacher’s lesson is,” Healy said.
A large portion of the two-day orientation focused on potential issues students could be facing outside of school. Gruwell shared many strategies she used to help create a positive classroom culture, while still teaching her curriculum.
“Although Westmoreland students do not have the exact same issues Erin’s students did, there are similar patterns, such as depression, homelessness and abuse, that are found everywhere,” Healy said. “Helping teachers better understand some of the potential social and emotional difficulties students have and how to deal with them, while continuing to move through a curriculum and ensure learning, can be very difficult.”
Healy says given her resume, Gruwell is the perfect person to help Westmoreland develop and maintain a positive social and emotional culture.
“Having her share her story and how she reached students throughout high school helps all teachers better understand their students and create a safe learning environment,” Healy explained. “Erin is proof that regardless of what is happening outside of school, students can be successful.”
Westmoreland’s new teachers were joined by new teachers from the New York Mills, Sauquoit and Watkins Glens school districts for the orientation.
The following new Westmoreland teachers participated:
Brandon Liddy – Social Studies, Grades 7-8
Michael Mulvihill – Math, Grades 7-8
Kristina Noto – Kindergarten
Travis Owens – Technology, Grades 5-6
Christopher Snell – Algebra 2, Grade 10
Kari Whitney – Special Education, Grades K-2
The following Westmoreland teachers contributed to the orientation:
Dee Beck – First Grade
Nick Darrah – High School Math
Joanne Paratore – High School ELA
“Westmoreland continues to prioritize the social and emotional well-being of our students,” Healy said. “We take students’ mental health very seriously and believe if we can create a caring, inclusive environment, all students will rise to their fullest potential.”