Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At a recent staff meeting, members of the Early Childhood Education Building-Level Equity Team led the staff in an activity to reflect on their own identities and how those impact their students. A special thank you to Kristin Kafantaris and Sarah West for leading the activity and a special thank you to Caitlin Opfermann for sharing the photo!

Hulsing Elementary School celebrated Diwali and Dia de los Muertos!

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights that celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. To celebrate, people light their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Diwali is celebrated over five days. This year, it was celebrated October 29-November 3.

Dia do los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated in Mexico. During this holiday, friends, and families gather together to remember, honor, and pray for their loved ones. People set up ofrendas, or altars, on which they place pictures of their loved ones along with food and/or objects that their loved ones enjoyed. Families also visit their loved one's graves and decorate them with flowers and candles. Dia de los Muertos was celebrated on November 1 and 2.

A special thank you to Principal Chambers and teacher consultant Ms. Camilleri for sharing these photos!

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.

We are entering that time of year when we are all encouraged to stop and consider all we have to be grateful for in our lives. Research shows that practicing gratitude is associated with better health, more sound sleep, greater happiness, and more kindness toward others. Gratitude encompasses thankfulness, humility, and mindfulness. Thankfulness is that feeling of appreciation, awe, and wonder we get when we can fully appreciate a moment or person. Humility is stepping out of center stage and putting someone or something else in the spotlight. Mindfulness is being fully present in the moment. Below, find 10 tips to cultivate gratitude in yourself, and 10 tips to cultivate gratitude in others:

Cultivating Gratitude in Yourself:

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal - each day, write down 3-5 things you are grateful for.
2. Write a Thank You Note - you'll boost your own happiness and someone else's.
3. Share your Gratitude with Others - expressing gratitude can strengthen relationships.
4. Take a Gratitude Walk - observe and internally express gratitude for the beauty of nature, the fresh air, or your surroundings.
5. Use a Gratitude App - to remind you to practice gratitude. Apps to consider: Gratitude; Presently: A Gratitude Journal; or Delightful - Gratitude Journal & 3 Good Things.
6. Reframe Negative Situations - try to find the silver lining or lessons learned from difficult experiences.
7. Start with Gratitude - start your day with an outward expression of gratitude.
8. Take Notice of Negativity or Complaining - reframe it into gratitude.
9. Practice Gratitude Meditation - sit quietly and visualize the things you are grateful for.
10. Think Outside the Box - find new situations and circumstances in which to be grateful.

Cultivating Gratitude in Others:

1. Three Good Things - ask students/staff to record 3 positive things that happen to them each day. To dig deeper, have participants think about how and why those things happened (e.g. How did I accomplish that? What exactly did I do?).
2. Gratitude Letter - have students/staff write a letter of thanks to someone and deliver the letter.
3. Gratitude Journal - have students/staff journal about good things that have happened to them recently.
4. Behind Your Back - use this team-building activity to support a healthy culture and climate.
5. Gratitude Board - create a space in the classroom/hallway/teachers' lounge/office where people can display post-it notes or other small notes expressing their gratitude for other people.
6. Gratitude Circle - use a community circle to allow participants to share something they're thankful for.
7. Brainstorm - ask students/staff to brainstorm examples of kindness and gratitude that they can use.
8. Gratitude Meditation - offer a quiet moment to allow students/staff to reflect on things they are thankful for.
9. Gratitude Books - read a book about gratitude. See examples of Picture Books. See examples of Young Adult Books.
10. Gratitude Walk - take a short walk as a group around the school. Ask students/staff to observe their surroundings and find things they are grateful for.

See the following resources for more information:

• Cultivating Gratitude in Education
• Gratitude in Education
• Making Space for Gratitude: 15 Ideas for Schools During Challenging Times
• Nurturing Gratitude from the Inside Out: 30 Activities for Grades K-8
• Thanks! A Strengths-Based Gratitude Curriculum for Tweens and Teens

For many students, families, and staff members, this time of year is the "holiday season." It is important to remember that our community is composed of families and individuals with a multitude of beliefs, perspectives, and celebrations. Celebrating and learning about holidays is an excellent opportunity to provide a window into a culture or understand more about a group of people and reinforce the diversity of all people's experiences.

Consider the following tips to ensure that all students feel included in the classroom during the holiday season and all year long:

• Ask Questions: know your students' and their families' cultures and religions.
• Teach about Holidays: keep conversations to the facts - the who, what, where, when, and why of holidays.
• Be Timely: teach about holidays when they are celebrated, and acknowledge them year round.
• Avoid Asking Students to Represent their Religion or Culture: provide reliable resources or invite a member of the community to visit the class. Allow students to share if they volunteer.
• Emphasize Shared Themes: many major holidays in any religion share themes such as sharing, togetherness, and giving back to the community.
• Keep Students Who Do Not Celebrate in Mind: there may be students in the class who do not celebrate any holidays. Those students should not be made to feel isolated or ostracized. To ensure inclusivity, create space for students to make winter or seasonal crafts or engage in winter or seasonal activities.

For more information, see the resources below:

• The Christmas Dilemma
• A Present for Teachers: Ways to handle the "December Dilemma" and make everyone happy
• Favorite Holiday Poster Projects Aren't Inclusive
• How to Keep Your Classroom Inclusive During December
• Sharing Holiday Traditions in the Classroom
• Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations
• Winter Holiday Booklist

Christmas is likely the holiday that students and staff are most familiar with, even if their families do not celebrate it. Traditionally, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians around the world consider the son of God, on December 25 each year. Today, most people celebrate Christmas by going to church, giving gifts, and sharing the day with their families. Additional information can be found at the links below.

• Christmas
• Christmas Traditions Worldwide
• Heartwarming Christmas Books for Kids

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second temple in Jerusalem, which dates back to 164 B.C.E., after the Syrians were drive out of Jerusalem. Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration that falls on 25 Kislev on the Hebrew calendar.

Hanukkah reaffirms the ideas of Judaism and commemorates the restoration of the Temple. Those who restored the temple only had enough oil to keep candles in the menorah - a gold candelabrum whose seven branches represent knowledge and creation, burning for one night. However, the candle continued burning for eight nights until supplies came in. In honor of this, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights, lighting one candle of the menorah each night and eating food fried in oil.

Although not mentioned in Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah has become widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious observances. In 2024, Hanukkah will be celebrated from nightfall on December 25 until nightfall on January 2. Additional information can be found at the links below.

• Hanukkah
• Hanukkah, O Hanukkah
• 9 Books That Celebrate Hanukkah

Kwanzaa, observed December 26 to January 1, is an African American and Pan-African cultural holiday that celebrates African heritage and identity as well as family, community, and culture. The name comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which translates to "first fruits," and is based on traditional African harvest festivals. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, a professor and department chair at California State University, Long Beach.

During the holiday, families and communities organize educational experiences and activities for seven days that correspond to the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. The Seven Principles are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Additional information can be found at the links below.

• Celebrating Kwanzaa
• Kwanzaa
• Kwanzaa Books for Kids

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.

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.

When students express their gender identity, District policy mandates that the school accept the gender identity that each student asserts. There is no medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment threshold that a student must meet to have their gender identity recognized and respected. Students who are ready to socially transition may initiate a process to change their name, pronouns, attire, and access to preferred programs, activities, and facilities consistent with their gender identity, as outlined in District policy. Each student has a unique process for transitioning. The school shall customize support to optimize each student's equal access to the District's educational programs and activities.

Please click here to read the entire Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Policy (Policy 5517.03) for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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