Feb. '23 Shout Outs!

A monthly update on GSAs & the PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance

Dear school leaders, GSA advisors, teachers, families, and students

This is the PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance's monthly newsletter. Our vision is to empower and affirm the LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families of PSUSD by developing policy, implementing trainings, and increasing student, parent, and community engagement.

In this issue of Shout Outs you will find resources for celebrating Black History Month, testimonials from schools who have recieved LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces trainings with Dr. Pompei, and updates from GSAs around the district.

You can also find great resources, including the Alliance's Year at a Glance calendar, helpful glossaries of terms, a staff resource library, and more!

🌈PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance

📧 lgbtq@psusd.us

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Safe and Welcoming Spaces Training with Dr. Pompei

PSUSD is collaborating with Dr. Vincent Pompei, an LGBTQ+ equity consultant, to train all staff district-wide on legal obligations and on creating safe and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community in our school district.

All PSUSD administators have attended this training, and the rollout to school sites has begun!

Principal Eric Antuna at Agua Caliente Elementary School shared:

"The information shared was relevant and enlightening and spurred conversation among staff members about how best to support our students. We even talked about past students and their successes. We also had cross-collaboration regarding how to share how students want to be addressed (different names/pronouns). Dr. Pompei’s presentation was engaging and we ran out of time!"

Cielo Vista Charter Counselor Paulina Hernandez shared:

"We had the training at CVC before break and it was great. It was informative and important. We received ideas on how we can practice using inclusive language. We also heard impactful stories. We all left with a clear picture of the importance of safe zones for our students."

The training will be coming soon to your school site!

Celebrate Black History!

Black History Month is celebrated annually in February and is an opportunity to honor the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The Pride Foundation has a great series on Black LGBTQ+ stories that you can share with colleagues and students!

Pride Foundation: Black History Month Series

Also, don't miss AAPAC, Taste of Soul, and the BRAAF Living Museum!

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Out and About Across the District!

Cabot Yerxa Elementary School Rainbow Club

The members of the CYES Rainbow Club share what the club means to them in this video!

We want to celebrate YOU!!

If you would like your school featured in the next newsletter,

send updates and pictures to Annie Axsom at aaxsom@psusd.us!

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2022-2023 Year at a Glance

Click the image to view the PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance 2022-2023 Year at a Glance! Here you'll find training opportunities, GSA meeting dates, community events, and more.

If you would like your school's event or GSA meeting dates added to the calendar, email the PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance at lgbtq@psusd.us.

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Brave Spaces Parents

Brave Spaces Parents is hosted by the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. Meetings are the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Brave Spaces is a support group for adult family members and allies of transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive tweens and young teens. The mission of this group is to create a safe/brave peer community where adults can support each other and find helpful tools on the parenting journey. One-on-one parent support/education meetings are also available for parents seeking additional resources.

LGBTQ PAC

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All are welcome to attend the LGBTQ+ Parent Advisory Committee meetings to offer input and learn about supports and services offered in PSUSD.

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Please share these flyers with the families at your school!

Resources for School Leaders

Staff Resource Library

Click here for a Google Drive folder of ready-made lessons, information about laws, resources to share with families, and more compiled by the PSUSD LGBTQ Alliance.

The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert

Visit this page for excellent local resources for students and families.

The original source for supporting LGBTQ+ students

GLSEN is an educators' network founded in 1990. They offer a comprehensive set of resources for building an LGBTQ+ inclusive school community.

Thinking about school climate?

This guide from Learning for Justice will take you through the steps to building the kind of school climate that's safe for our most vulnerable students.

LGBTQ+ Glossary

Click here for a helpful glossary of terms relating to LGBTQ+ topics.

LGBTQ+ Glossary in Spanish

Click here for a helpful Spanish language glossary of terms relating to LGBTQ+ topics.

Elementary Level Glossary

Click here for a resource from Welcoming Schools that shares elementary level definitions for LGBTQ+ terms.

Toolkit for "Being There for Nonbinary Youth"

This toolkit synthesizes the key tips and takeaways from “Being There for Nonbinary Youth” and offers online resources for supporting transgender students.

learningforjustice.org