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.
2025 is upon us, and with a new year comes reflections of the past year and goals for the year to come. Research shows that 88% of people have failed to stick to resolutions to change. It can be very discouraging to try to do things differently, only to fall back into old patterns and habits. Our brains crave routine and resist change. Maintaining motivation over the course of an entire year requires a belief in our ability to succeed. While many of us are hard on ourselves when we do not meet our goals, there is an alternative: self-compassion.
Self-compassion is treating oneself with kindness, especially when things go wrong. Self-compassion allows us to correct our mistakes and re-engage with goals, even if we have gone off course.
Follow these three steps to increase self-compassion and achieve your resolutions:
- Forgive yourself: for past failures. Talk to yourself like you would talk to a good friend. Remind yourself that feeling bad about your behavior does not set you up for future successes.
- Aim for an inherently rewarding target: set the right resolution that feels good for you and accomplishes a positive outcome. (For example, instead of saying, "I will lose weight," reframe the resolution as "I will get healthy and strong.")
- Edit your resolutions: ensure they are achievable and allow you to find joy in keeping your resolutions. If they aren't working for you - change them up!
See the following resources for more information:
On January 20, 2025, we honor and observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which commemorates and celebrates the life, legacy, and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 8, 1968, Congressman John Conyers (Michigan) first introduced a motion to recognize Dr. King's birthday as a federal holiday. Despite the introduction in the House of Representatives, it took 11 years before a vote, that subsequently failed, took place. For the next 4 years, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. King; singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder; President Jimmy Carter; and several other influential people worked tirelessly to have the day federally recognized despite significant opposition. In November 1983, President Reagan signed the bill into law, and the first King Holiday was celebrated in 1986. On August 23, 1994, the King Holiday and Service Act was signed into law by President Clinton, designating the holiday a national day of service. Despite the federal legislation, there were several states that did not recognize Martin Luther King Day as a paid holiday. In 2000, all 50 states recognized the holiday by name and celebrated it as a paid holiday.
In 2025, the theme for the King Holiday, set each year by The King Center, is Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence.
See the following resources for more information:
In the past, on Martin Luther King, Jr. day, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, Canton Township, and the Canton Chamber of Commerce have come together to celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy. this year, P-CCS, Canton Township, and the Canton Chamber of Commerce recognize the unique overlap of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the U.S. Presidential Inauguration. In light of this, we encourage our families and residents to honor Dr. King's legacy by embracing this important opportunity for civic engagement and family education in a way that is meaningful to you on January 20th.
You can join the celebration with one or more of the following options:
- Apply for a scholarship. Seniors attending P-CCS are encouraged to apply for the MLK Essay Scholarship, presented by P-CCS and sponsored by the Canton Chamber of Commerce and College Tutors of Canton. The winner will be awarded a scholarship to be used toward post-secondary opportunities. For more information, students should speak to their counselors.
- Visit the Canton Story Trail, located in Heritage Park.
- Donate food or clothing to a local organization.
- Learn about our nation's history through the local library or an internet search.
- Watch Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" Speech, or other speeches by Dr. King.
- Have a dialogue with family and friends about Dr. King's legacy.
- Write a letter to your legislative representatives, community leaders, etc. to remind them how important it is to keep Dr. King's message alive today.
- Watch the 2025 Presidential Inauguration.
January 21, 2025, marks the ninth annual National Day of Racial Healing. This annual observance is hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and was created with and builds on the work and learnings of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation community partners.
Racial healing is a tool and a process for celebrating common humanity, acknowledging the truths of our shared history, and recognizing our collective potential. Racial healing allows people to forge deep, meaningful relationships, lay the groundwork to transform broken systems, and bridge divides to transform our communities. For additional information, please see the resources below:
January 27, 2025 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2025, this day will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was designated by the United Nations on November 1, 2005 to mark the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, honor the victims of Nazism, support educational programs to remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide, and to reject any form of Holocaust denial. The UN resolution incorporates tenets from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by condemning all forms of "religious intolerance, incitement, harassment, or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief" around the world.
Please see the resources below for additional information.
Lunar New Year, sometimes referred to as "Chinese New Year" or the Spring Festival, celebrates the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. this two-week celebration includes family and friends, feasting and fireworks, and parties and parades. This year, Lunar New Year begins on January 29 and culminates on February 16 in a Lantern Festival known as the Yuan Xiao. On the night of the Lantern Festival, the streets are decorated with colorful lanterns. People eat sweet rice balls called tangyuan, watch dragon and lion dances, and set off fireworks.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the year of the snake, more specifically, the Wood Snake. The snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to be intuitive, strategic, and intelligent.
Although Lunar New Year is sometimes referred to as "Chinese New Year," it is a public holiday in several countries, including China, North and South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, and Vietnam.
Five things to know about Lunar New Year:
- The holiday typically involves travel to visit family.
- 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake. Other years of the Snake include 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, and 1965.
- Food is very important during the Lunar New Year. Many food items are symbolic of luck and prosperity.
- Elders customarily give money to young people. In Chinese culture, red packets containing money may be given out.
- There are a lot of traditions associated with Lunar New Year to avoid removing good luck, including: not washing hair or clothes on the first day of the new year; not sweeping up or taking out garbage; not using negative words; and not breaking glass.
For more information about Lunar New Year, please see the resources below:
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 the use of students' names and pronouns on school records?
Every student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronouns that correspond to the student's gender identity. Schools will allow students to use a chosen name and gender pronouns that reflect their identity, regardless of whether the student has legally changed their name or gender. It is recommended that school staff privately ask transgender or gender expansive students how they want to be addressed in class and in the school's communication with the student's parents or guardians. Be mindful that transgender and gender expansive youth may feel most comfortable being addressed by gender-neutral pronouns or just referred to by their names (without pronouns).
If a student was previously known at school by a different name, the school administration will direct school staff to use the student's chosen name and appropriate pronouns. To ensure consistency among administrators and staff, every effort will be made to immediately update student education records (such as attendance reports, class rosters for substitute teachers, school IDs, transcripts, electronic records, etc.) with the student's chosen name and appropriate gender markers. Records with the student's birth name and gender will be kept in a separate, confidential file within the student information system.
Staff or administrators may be specifically required by law to report or use a student's legal name or gender in some instances. In those instances, practices should be followed to avoid the inadvertent disclosure of such confidential information.
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
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