What a busy few weeks it has been! Your children have been engaged in so many meaningful experiences in the classroom. Preparations for MATA, the Festival of Lights, and Co-Lab are just a few that come to mind. Alongside these special events, they have remained deeply invested in their daily work and in thoughtful discussions around identity, belonging, and inclusion.
During December, classroom teachers and Sara facilitated conversations about family structure. This time of year, family traditions and gatherings are on many minds, making it a natural opportunity to explore the many ways families come together and to reflect on what makes a group of people a family.
Some of the books the children read include Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis, All the Families in My Town by Ophélie Célier and Thomas Piet, Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson and E. B. Lewis, Something About Grandma by Tania de Regil, Migrant by Maxine Trottier, and Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry.
When we return in January, we will begin conversations around race. Initially, these discussions will focus on identity and belonging and will be geared toward helping children recognize that people come from different backgrounds, ways of life, and places. We will emphasize that our differences are a valuable and essential part of our shared humanity. Later in the year, students will also learn how these differences have sometimes been used to separate people.
Some of the books we will read in January include All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger, I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown, Who Are Your People? by Bakari Sellers, Milo’s Museum by Zetta Elliott, Honeysmoke by Monique Fields, and Black Magic by Dinah Johnson.
#LMSBelonging #LMSDiversity #LMSLowerEl
