Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
February 2025
Celebrating DEI Initiatives
Is your school or department doing something to celebrate or highlight diversity, equity, inclusion, or belonging? We would love to hear about it and share with colleagues! If there is something you would like highlighted in our newsletter, please send information to Katie Ilijic at katie.ilijic@pccsk12.com.
In February 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week. Dr. Woodson selected a specific week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were instrumental in the lives of Black Americans. In 1976, President Gerald Ford extended the observance to a full month in the hopes that U.S. citizens would recognize the "important contributions made to our nation's life and culture by our Black citizens." Since 1976, every U.S. President has issued an annual proclamation designating February as Black History Month. In 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which designated February as National Black History Month.
Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) determines a theme for Black History Month. The theme for Black History Month 2025 is "African Americans and Labor." This theme focuses on "the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds - free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary - intersect with the collective experiences of Black people." Studying African Americans' labor and labor struggles is important for new interpretations and reinterpretations of the past, present, and future. The theme for Black History Month 2026 will be "A Century of Black History Commemorations."
The background for this month's newsletter is artwork by Alma Thomas titled Pansies in Washington (1969). This painting was inspired by aerial photographs of of Thomas's neighborhood. Thomas was a member of the Washington Color School art movement, which was concerned primarily with color field painting. Thomas worked as an artist and a teacher in Washington, D.C. Thomas died in 1978 at age 86; her reputation and popularity have continued to grow since her death.
Below, please find a list of resources that may be helpful as we observe this month.
- Celebrate Black History Month with Canton Public Library
- Dos and Don'ts of Teaching Black History
- Black History Month Lessons & Resources
- Classroom Resources for Black History Month
- Black History Month Resources
- Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways
- Connecting Black History to Joy
- Invisible Changemakers of Industry: African Americans and Labor
- Black History Month from the Smithsonian
Each year, February 19 is a Day of Remembrance of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, leading to the forced evacuation and incarceration of thousands of United States citizens of Japanese ancestry. In 1982, a Congressional study determined that this incarceration was due to “race, prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”
This Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to educate ourselves and others on the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis, and the importance of remaining steadfast to protect the rights, freedoms, and dignity of all. Today, the National Park Service preserves sites in California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, and Washington, D.C., associated with the internment so visitors and future generations may learn their stories.
For more information, please see the resources below:
Students, staff, and families in our community and around the world will celebrate Ramadan beginning the evening of Friday, February 28, 2025 through the evening of Saturday, March 29, 2025. Please note, the information provided here is general and practices may differ family-to-family.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic lunar calendar, when Muslims, followers of Islam, adhere to a strict fast observed from sunrise to sunset. A Muslim in the Eastern Time Zone will be fasting for roughly 11 hours per day this year. Fasting during Ramadan cleanses the mind, body, and soul from the spiritual and physical impurities of the world, and brings Muslims around the world together. It is a sacred month in Islam because it is when the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
Ramadan is a time of intense prayer, good deeds, and charity.
Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
Fasting is viewed as a time to exercise self-control and as a cleanse for the mind, body, and spirit. Many Muslims liken the fasting to a spiritual detox, a way to bring themselves closer to God. Fasting also serves as a reminder of the suffering of those less fortunate, who often do not have access to food and water.
Fasting includes not eating or drinking anything during daylight hours - not even water or medicine.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other pillars include prayer five times per day, the declaration and testimony of faith, supporting the needy, and the pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime.
During the month of Ramadan, it is common for Muslims to gather with friends and family for suhoor, the first meal of the day, eaten just before sunrise. They also commonly gather at the end of the day for iftar, the breaking of the fast after sunset.
How can schools support students during Ramadan?
Students are typically encouraged to fast beginning around age 7 or 8, though that may differ by family.
Plymouth-Canton Community School District is a culturally and religiously diverse community. While our schools are not closed for observance of religious holidays, it is the intention of the District to respect the religious and cultural days that are significant to our students, families, and staff. Students who miss school work because of an excused absence, including absences for religious observance, should not be expected to complete homework, study for tests, or do other school work during their absence (Policy 5200 - Attendance). Students shall be given the opportunity to complete assignments and tests within a reasonable time, based on the circumstances. These absences should be managed in the same manner as absences for other excused reasons, including informing the school of the absence, talking with teachers about the absence, missed work, etc.
For students, waking up early to eat and going to sleep later due to nightly prayers may impair their ability to remain focused for long periods of time. This may mean allowing for extra breaks throughout the day or giving them the option of skipping physical activity while they are fasting.
Additionally, there are a few things you can do to support your students in school:
Greet students at the beginning of Ramadan by saying “Happy Ramadan,” or “Ramadan Mubarak.”
Send a communication to all families announcing that Ramadan is approaching and inviting families to reach out with any concerns and to let the school know whether their child is fasting. Do not assume that you know which students in your classroom or school are Muslim or are fasting.
When celebrating the end of Ramadan, you may say “Eid Mubarak,” or “Happy Eid.”
Avoid, if possible, scheduling important tests, field trips, special programs, events involving food, etc. during Ramadan.
Provide alternate assessment options.
Work with families if students are struggling to keep up with school work or are exhibiting low energy or inability to focus.
Teach all students basics about Ramadan and fasting.
Do not ask Muslim students to become the experts or teach class members about Ramadan, but allow them to share if they wish to.
Offer students who are fasting a separate space outside the lunchroom during lunch if they would like.
Avoid food-centric celebrations or events in class or as a school.
Offer space and time for prayer.
Be mindful of too much physical activity for students who may be fasting and whose energy may be low. Be mindful of students during P.E. classes and recess.
Below, you will find a list of resources that may assist you in supporting students, staff, and families as it relates to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
A person’s sense of belonging at school is the extent to which they feel that they are valued members of their school’s community. Sense of belonging refers to a person’s feelings of being accepted, included, empowered, and reflected at school. However, in a time when information is at our fingertips, it is easy for people to focus on ways that they do not belong - to focus on differences. In the United States, 93% of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86% agree that it is possible to disagree in healthy ways. In order to help reduce division, civil rights scholar john a. powell suggests building bridges across differences, which he calls, simply, “bridging.”
Bridging is the desire to connect with another person, even when a divide exists. Bridging does not mean always agreeing with others, or that anyone has to change their mind. Rather, bridging is seeing the other person - their humanity, their value - and being willing to open up and listen. Bridging work lies in trying to understand another person’s perspective, not trying to convince them or persuade them to agree with your perspective. This often involves asking questions, listening to understand, and withholding judgment.
To cultivate a sense of belonging, even when people are divided, social scientist Brené Brown recommends four actions we, as a society, should take:
1. Make contact with people you disagree with. Seek out opinions different from your own.
2. Share collective joy and pain. When we experience similar feelings as others, we are able to show more concern and listen to one another better.
3. Speak up (kindly) when you disagree. If you disagree with someone, ask for clarification or evidence, listen, and maintain respect.
4. Embrace the paradox. In order to feel a sense of belonging, people are sometimes unwilling to speak their truth, to disagree, or to “rock the boat,” which leaves us feeling like we don’t belong. We have to understand our own worth, and that of others.
See the following resources for more information.
P-CCS Hate and Bias Reporting Form
This is a safe online reporting platform for P-CCS students/families to document incidents of hate and bias in our schools or at school-related events.
Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students
At P-CCS, we are committed to creating and fostering an educational environment for all students that is safe, welcoming, and free from stigma and discrimination, regardless of a student’s sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. Additionally, we will work to ensure that we are in compliance with local, state, and federal laws concerning bullying, harassment, privacy, and discrimination while ensuring that all students have the opportunity to express themselves and live authentically.
What should I know about students' rights to access gender-segregated activities and facilities?
Students have access to facilities, including all restrooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities, that correspond to their gender identity. Schools may maintain separate restrooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities for male and female students, so long as students are allowed equal access to facilities consistent with their gender identity. Students, including nonbinary students, should determine which facilities are consistent with their gender identity.
Any student who is uncomfortable using a shared gender-segregated facility, for any reason, shall upon request by the student, be provided with a safe, non-stigmatizing alternative. This might include, for example, the addition of a privacy partition or curtain, the ability to use a nearby private restroom or office, or a separate changing schedule. However, requiring a transgender or gender nonconforming student to use a separate space threatens to publicly identify and stigmatize the student and should not be done unless requested by the student. Under no circumstances may a student be required to use gender-segregated facilities that are inconsistent with their gender identity.
Facilities that are designed for use by one person at a time shall be designated as accessible to all students regardless of gender, when they are available. However, under no circumstances may a student be required to use separate facilities because they are transgender or gender nonconforming.
Please click here to read the entire Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Policy (Policy 5517.03) for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Katie Ilijic (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance
Email: katie.ilijic@pccsk12.com
Website: https://www.pccsk12.com/about-p-ccs/departments/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
Location: 454 South Harvey Street, Plymouth, MI, USA