Unity in Education Newsletter
November 2024
Introduction to Unity in Education: Addressing Discrimination Together
Our community has experienced a concerning increase in antisemitic incidents, including some that have impacted our schools. As a response, the Steamboat Springs School District has taken proactive measures to confront these challenges head-on.
We have prioritized openness by acknowledging these events and their effects. We have also prioritized implementing enhanced education on discrimination and hate symbols in our schools. From impactful assemblies to essay contests to the One Love Steamboat mural project, these initiatives have focused on recognizing and confronting bias in our schools.
Unity in Education
Collaborating with valuable community partners like the Steamboat Team to Disrupt Antisemitism and Discrimination (STAND) has also been crucial. Together, we're equipping our youth with the tools to discern right from wrong, emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct and empathy.
To learn more about STAND, I invite you to listen to a podcast researched and produced by the Students for Social Justice Club at Steamboat Springs High School.
Looking ahead, we are committed to providing comprehensive educational resources for families. In the coming weeks, you’ll be receiving resources from us, in collaboration with STAND, that can help facilitate vital conversations at home about combating discrimination and what to do in case your students see or experience discrimination themselves. Our goal is to provide this content over time so it is digestible for families.
We acknowledge talking about discrimination can be complex and sensitive topic. We want to help equip families with tools that can help make it easier and provide tips, talking points and strategies to make these conversations productive and easier for all families.
Together, let's continue to cultivate an environment of respect, understanding, and collective action against discrimination.
Sincerely,
Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent
cwicks@ssk12.org
What to Expect from Us
Newsletter 2 - Different types of discrimination
Newsletter 3 - How to talk to your kids about discrimination
Newsletter 4 - How to help kids deal with discrimination
STAND: Who We Are And What We Do
We all have a shared hope that everyone will feel a sense of belonging in Steamboat. There are many ways to say welcome. We say welcome with our words: bienvenidos, come on in, benvenue, wilkommen, etc. We say welcome with our bodies, our eyes, our presence. And most importantly, we say welcome with our actions.
In the Hebrew language, the way we say welcome is through the words ‘Bruchim HaBaim’. Literally…. Your coming is a blessing. Isn’t that remarkable? Acknowledging in another human being that their presence, their very existence is a reason to feel grateful. How different would our community be if we greeted each and every community member we see, no matter their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, color, creed, socio-economic status, immigration status etc. as if their existence is a something to celebrate. This notion is at the heart of STAND: Steamboat Team to disrupt Antisemitism and Discrimination.
STAND. A vision that commits to the notion that Routt won’t STAND for Hate.
STAND. Whose mission disrupts hate and promotes anti-discrimination through education, policy change, partnerships, and positively influencing the next generation.
STAND. Where we deeply acknowledge that Hate is a problem in Routt County.
STAND. Where we know it’s in the character of this town to care about our neighbors.
STAND. Where everyone has a role to play in disrupting hate and discrimination.
Welcome to STAND. We are grateful for your presence. We are here to ensure that everyone feels like they belong in our beautiful community of Steamboat Springs.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Kolby Morris-Dahary
Learn More About STAND
Swastika Education
Symbols play a pervasive role in our daily lives, serving as conveyors of ideas, emotions, opinions, and beliefs. It's crucial to acknowledge that some symbols have been tainted by hate and bias. The swastika stands out as a notorious symbol of hatred. Interestingly, the swastika wasn't always a negative symbol. Across ancient times, various Eastern religions embraced it as representing prosperity and good luck. Unfortunately, its meaning took a dark turn in the 1930s when Adolf Hitler adopted it as the primary symbol for the Nazi Party in Germany. This historical shift transformed a once-positive symbol into one of the most significant and notorious hate symbols in modern history. Specifically, it is strongly associated with antisemitism, reflecting hostility and prejudice against the Jewish people.
To learn more about the swastika, the essay below, written by a high school student in the Steamboat Springs community, dives deeper into the meaning behind the swastika.
What is Discrimination?
Discrimination
Unfair treatment of one person or group of people because of the person or group’s identity (e.g., race, gender, ability, religion, culture, etc.). Discrimination is an action that can come from prejudice.
Prejudice
Judging or having an idea about someone or a group of people before you actually know them. Prejudice is often directed toward people in a certain identity group (race, religion, gender, etc.).
(Source: Anti-Defamation League)