With the opening of another middle school campus, just a few blocks away, this year, Smith Middle School has gone from being one of the largest and most diverse campuses in the district to being one the smallest and least diverse in the district. Due to this change in demographic, it is imperative to create a school culture that is welcoming to all students. It is even more important to include students’ culture, background, gender, race, ethnicity and emotional development when creating lessons, activities and programs on campus. During Open House this year, the primary question that parents expressed was that of how would I, as a teacher, could help their child acclimate to their new environment. Some students had moved from across the district, others from out-of-state, a few were new to the country, while still others were joining the general education population for the first time.…