R15 Equity & Inclusion Newsletter

The Southbury Public Library and Region 15 Schools would like to invite the community to join

us for the Global Art Project: a Photography Exhibition. The exhibition’s purpose, obtained

through The Besharat Arts Foundation’s “Art in Schools” project, is to bring to Southbury Public

Library works of art to inspire empathy and understanding, encourage global connectedness, and

inspire young people to see common humanity in a richly diverse world.

A group of 4th and 5th grade students from across the district will lead the evening! We hope you can attend!

More information about this event can be found here:

Women's History Month began in 1981 when Congress passed legislation that established Women's History Week. In 1987, it was legislated to be a monthlong celebration, which you can read more about here. You can learn more about the federally recognized Women's History Month here and International Women's Day (March 8) here.

Similar to each monthlong celebration highlighted in newsletters, we balance the need to honor the month's focus with the understanding that women's history belongs in each month! Yet, we do want to acknowledge the opportunity to lift up the importance of focusing on women's contributions to the world around us.

Kyler Kumi, PHS 12th grade student, represented PHS & Region 15 at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals on Friday, March 1 at Theaterworks in Hartford. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest for students in grades 9 - 12 sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Congratulations, Kyler! Thank you to Mrs. Heather Messina for her support!

The background image for this month's newsletter comes from artists in 5th grade in Mrs. Tresca's Class at MES. Students created bell totas, which are mobiles consisting of a string of hand-stitched, brightly colored birds. They are traditionally made in northern India from fabric scraps and bells. Our students and Mrs. Tresca drew inspiration from women artisans in Chota Narena, of Ajmer district in Rajasthan, India. Prosperity Bell Totas bring prosperity and good luck when hung in a doorway or window. These traditional art pieces have been a symbol in Indian homes for generations.

This week, by presidential proclamation, March was also named Irish-American Heritage Month. Read the presidential proclamation here!

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day, which is a day devoted to advocating for the inclusion, wellbeing, and rights of people with Down syndrome in our community and around the world. Did you know that the date 3/21 was selected for World Down Syndrome Day to signify the uniqueness of the triplication, or trisomy, of the 21st chromosome, which leads to Down syndrome? World Down Syndrome Awareness Day has been officially observed as a global awareness day by the United Nations since 2012.

Something we want to communicate to you in this video - and every read aloud video - is that while diversity is a fact, inclusion is an action. This is a really important idea, belief, and way of being. It means that it is up to each of us do, say, and think things that are inclusive. If we each feel responsible for that, then we each will be able to feel a strong sense of belonging, which really matters a lot.

Our guest readers in this video include a student from MES, Mrs. Moreira, Speech and Language Pathologist, and Mrs. Kimble-Cusano, Region 15 parent and former Region 15 PreK Teacher! You will hear them share a bit more about what the book Eli, Included by Michelle Sullivan, illustrated by Brit Scott, and World Down Syndrome day, means to them.

This read aloud is being shared with permission from Michelle Sullivan.

• Friday 3/1/24 - 3/19/24 NINETEEN-DAY FAST Bahá’í Baha'is between 15 and 70 years of age do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset and set aside time for prayer and meditation.
• Friday 3/8/24 MAHA SHIVARATRI Hindu Also called Shiva Ratri, the Great Night of Shiva, is a festival in reverence of the god Shiva. The festival is celebrated at the 13th night or 14th day of the waning moon in the Hindu calendar (month of February or March of the English calendar). Southern Asia Monday
• 3/11/24 - 4/9/24 RAMADAN ** Islamic Observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad. (March 11)
• Sunday 3/17/24 ST. PATRICK’S DAY Christian Feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. In the U.S., a secular version is celebrated by people of all faiths through appreciation of all things Irish.
• Monday 3/18/24 CLEAN MONDAY Eastern Orthodox Christian The beginning of Great Lent for Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, which starts 40 days before Pascha, counting Sundays.
• Wednesday 3/20/24 NOWRÚZ (Also known as NAWRÚZ) * Zoroastrian, Bahá’í, and Iranian/Persian people across different religions. Celebrates the first day of Spring and the Iranian New Year, which occurs on the vernal equinox, on or near March 21. Also celebrated as New Year’s Day in Baha’i tradition. (This date may vary based on region or sect.)
• Sunday 3/24/24 PALM SUNDAY Western Christian Observed the Sunday before Easter to commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
• Sunday 3/24/24 PURIM * Jewish The “Feast of Lots” marks the saving of the Jewish people of ancient Persia from extermination.
• Monday 3/25/24 HOLI Hindu A spring festival in India and Nepal dedicated to the god of pleasure, also known as the festival of colours or the festival of sharing love.
• Tuesday 3/26/24 HOLA MOHALLA Sikh An annual event which is a martial arts parade historically coinciding with Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. Celebrations related to Holla Mohalla may be held in various locations over several weekends preceding the actual date of the holiday.
• Tuesday 3/26/24 KHORDAD SAL Zoroastrian The Zoroastrian celebration of the birth of Zoroaster, the founder of the Zoroastrianism religion. The holiday is specifically celebrated in India and Iran, immediately following the Persian new year, Nowrúz.
• Friday 3/29/24 GOOD FRIDAY * Western Christian Commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the Friday before Easter. Known as Holy Friday in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
• Sunday 3/31/24 EASTER * Western Christian Known as Pascha in Eastern Christianity, it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.

Instagram: @r15equity_inclusion

*Note: Image (c) 2019 CLC Collective and Dottir Press

Email: equity_inclusion@region15.org
Twitter: @r15equity