Hello DDSD and welcome to December, a time, among other things, where many of us are able to get the gift of a much needed break! As you daydream about sleeping in and sipping your coffee or tea leisurely on your couch, take pause to consider which of your students might need some help getting ready for the break. It's not always as welcome a time for students who are going home to less ideal circumstances if they even have a place to call home. If you notice students without warm clothing or other resources, make sure you reach out to your school counselor, SUN manager, or family resource navigator to help connect students/families to the clothing, food, and supplies they need to get through the school break. We are positioned well to identify needs and support students, even if only in small ways. Let's remember that students can't learn until their basic human needs are met.

Food Pantries located in our schools will be closed during the two-week winter break.

If you know of a family that needs food support, please invite them to visit the Oregon Food Bank website to locate free groceries, meals, produce, and other programs in their area, by just entering their zip code.

In the wake of the latest gun violence targeting the LGBTQ+ community, we want to acknowledge the grief and anxiety associated with being a member of a community that experiences violence connected to their identity. As with all violent events, we should be mindful of the reverberation throughout our community who may identify with the victims, seeing their own safety connected to the safety of those who were senselessly harmed. Age appropriate acknowledgment and sensitivity are a minimum standard as adults responsible for students. It's our responsibility as educators to teach kindness, respect, and empathy to help develop the future leaders and citizens of our world. Some students may be hurting or anxious right now and need support.

Did you know that one out of every seven people is affected by a disability? Across the world people are confronted with challenges in physical, mental, emotional, learning, neurodivergence, and other abilities. Because our world has been slow to embrace, normalize and empower difference and create inclusive spaces where everyone thrives, many people remain at a disadvantage even as our modern world has the capacity and resources to help most get what they need to live meaningful lives. At DDSD, 12.5% of our students are are receiving special education services. We have many other students on 504 plans and others who may or may not be receiving the supports they need because they have not been identified. We can help our students feel included by following IEP plans and 504 plans, and being attentive to student needs in the classroom and throughout our buildings. We can help destigmatize disability by modeling inclusion. Differentiation should be the norm in classrooms where every student has an opportunity to thrive. Culturally responsive teaching and many SPED classroom strategies are good teaching practices that benefit all students.

Despite 18% of the David Douglas’ 2,800 student population identifying as Asian, there were no active clubs in recent years that represented the Asian student body specifically. Asian Student Union, one of the many things bulldozed through by the pandemic, is now primarily student led with the help of advisors Ms. Kiyokawa and Ms. Daugherty. ASU was revived by four seniors who wanted to celebrate Asian culture and unify the collective Asian consciousness at school. Since our first meeting, we've not only created a safe space for the Asian student body every other Tuesday, but have also illuminated the unique parts of our cultures such as food, language, art, and music. Recently, we’ve raised nearly $300 from an Asian-Snack bag fundraiser that sold out within the first ten minutes of lunch. We continue to move towards planning future projects like multicultural night, the winter assembly, and more. We’ve even orchestrated a K-Pop group that could perform at future events and orchestrated the White Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance team visit for an upcoming assembly. Overall, Asian Student Union is not just a student government organization, but a community that feels genuinely connected. We’re hopeful towards the future and have high expectations for the ongoing success of the club. Although this may be a senior project for the four of us, we hope to leave a mark in the David Douglas community and want ASU to flourish into something bigger than what we will eventually leave behind at the end of the school year. *This paragraph was written by ASU student leaders Jessie Lui - President, Andy Nguyen - Vice President, Lepha GIan - Head of Communications, & Florence Phan - Secretary & Treasurer

If you didn't get a chance to watch last year's town hall videos, you should! It's a great insight into the vision of DDSD school leaders and their visions for equity in our schools. We just recorded our first episode of season 2, which will focus on staff, student, and caregiver perspectives on equity in their school community. See the first episode linked below.

On Friday, November 18, we held our first SOC Affinity gathering of the year. It was fun to connect with other staff and share our dreams for our students, staff, and district. Stay tuned for other opportunities to connect with each other, have FUN, and help our district to continue the work of listening to and centering our most marginalized student groups.

Please email sabrina_sommer@ddsd40.org if you are BIPOC and NOT receiving SOC emails and want to.

I have been in public service since 1990 when I served an enlistment in the US Marines as a weather observer. I went to college after my service, earning a BS in Psychology from PSU in 2000, and a MS in School Psychology from Lewis and Clark College in 2003. I served as a school psychologist in Reynolds until 2011 when I took my first position as an administrator at St. Helens Middle School. I returned to sped leadership as a coordinator for two years working for ESD 112 in WA. I served for eight years at the Molalla River School District as the director of supported education where I completed my doctorate of special and counselor education in December, 2021. The topic of my dissertation was examining the problem of segregated settings based on ability.

Equity plays a central role in my leadership, planning and programming as it is seemingly natural to make presumptions about people with differing abilities, and disabilities. The growth opportunity in calling out ableism as an implicit bias is that through shifting thinking and belief we can presume competence for people experiencing disabilities and use person first language not because it is less offensive, but because we believe in the ability of every human, no matter how they present. The opportunity to serve in the DDSD is a great fit for me because the district's core values of equity and inclusion align with my values, beliefs and practices as a director. Have questions for Mr. Salitore? Email him at michael_salitore@ddsd40.org

Events:

December 1-30: Festival of Lights

December 1-23: Omiyage Holiday Store

December 2-21: Christmas Ship Parade

December 8-26: Menorah Lighting

December 9-11: Portland Gay Men's Choir

December 10-11:Gospel Christmas

December 18: Bridging Voices, Portland LGBTQ+ and allied Youth Chorus

December 20: A Very Merry Mariachi Christmas

December 31: New Year's Eve Sobriety Powwow