ADAMS TWP — The Mars School District is taking note of the increasing diversity of its students.

Dale Sleva, assistant principal at the high school, said a new Diversity Awareness program has been formed as part of the district’s Planet Peace Anti-Bullying program.

“We live in a growing community, and it’s starting to become diverse,” Sleva said. “We have people moving here from all over the world, especially with Westinghouse having located their headquarters in Cranberry Township.”

Sleva said he met four times over the summer with guidance counselors, teachers and parents regarding a diversity program.

Throughout the school year, all five school buildings will incorporate themes related to diversity into their curriculum.

They also will engage in Planet Peace Anti-Bullying discussions, and pursue a different theme each month from through May.

The themes spell out the word “diversity.” They are differences, integrity, values, empathy, respect, selflessness, individuality, tolerance and you matter.

Sleva said thanks to the donations of businesses, each student in grades five through 12 got a T-shirt that says “Planet Peace” on the front, and “Diversity is welcome, bullying is not” on the back.

Each school building also created and is displaying a banner with the same sentiment, Sleva said.

The banner created by the high school’s art students was carried in the high school’s Homecoming Parade on Sept. 19.

He said students in the high school’s broadcast media class made a 17-minute video that was shown to students in grades seven through 12.

The video featured the diversity thoughts of Eric Asongwed of the Young Men and Women’s African Heritage Association, plus teachers, students, an Adams Township police officer, and Sleva.

Sleva said the district’s food service provider, Nutrition Inc., last week served different food from around the world each day.

“The students are getting a lot of awareness,” Sleva said.

A Planet Peace Club was formed at the high school, and Sleva said it will focus on anti-bullying, diversity, school spirit and the school’s annual Renaissance Breakfast, which recognizes perfect attendance and positive behavior.

The high school’s Art Club also created posters with a diversity theme and displayed them at the school.

Middle school guidance counselor Tanis Rose, who is involved with the Diversity Awareness program, said students must learn to live together respectfully and to benefit from the wisdom of those from different cultures.

“Sometimes a lack of knowledge or discomfort prevents people from talking to one another,” Rose said. “This is especially true when it comes to topics such as race, cultural differences and (language).”

Sleva said the district has been seeing the enrollment increase in recent years of students of all ages from different countries.

He said the diversity program at the Seneca Valley School District serves as a model for Mars.

“Seneca Valley has forms in different languages,” Sleva said. “Mars is going to try those kinds of things as well.”

More information on the Mars Diversity Awareness program is at the district’s website, www.marsk12.org.