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 June 1977, U.S. Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Mineta of California, introduced a resolution to establish Asian Pacific Heritage Week, to be celebrated each year at the beginning of May. Hawaiian senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced similar legislation in the Senate. The following year, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution into law to establish the annual event, and the first celebration took place in May 1979. In 1992, May was designated by President George H.W. Bush as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The annual celebration honors the many contributions and accomplishments of Asian American, Pacific Islander Americans, and Native Hawaiians.
The theme for the May 2025 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is "A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience." This theme honors AANHPI leaders who established a foundation for future generations to adapt to change and adversity. The symbol for this theme is bamboo, which is a symbol of strength, endurance, and resilience for its ability to withstand the harshest conditions. Bamboo bends with the wind and stands tall after storms pass. The Federal Asian Pacific American Council has stated that "A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience" is both a tribute and a call to action to continue to break barriers, honor traditions, and inspire the next generation of AANHPI leaders.
Below, please find a list of resources that may be helpful as we observe this month.
- Teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage
- Classroom Resources on AAPI History and Contemporary Life
- Eight books that celebrate AAPI joy
- Asian American & Pacific Islander Perspectives within Humanities Education
- 11 Resources for Teaching About AAPI Experiences
- Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage
- Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The P-CCS Dynamic Plan states that "All P-CCS students and staff will report that they feel physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe, and represented at school." As we continue to work diligently to cultivate environments that are safe for all, we must be intentional in our actions. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act; it also affects how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. To raise awareness about mental health, May has been observed as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States since 1949.
Mental Health Awareness is especially important for children because the CDC reports that the number of adolescents with poor mental health is increasing. Building strong bonds and connections with our young people can protect their mental health.
According to Mental Health America, the theme for Mental Health Month 2025 is "Turn Awareness into Action."
Below is a list of resources that may be helpful as we observe this month.
On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month. The announcement was a result of an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders that resulted in resolutions, introduced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, urging the president to proclaim a month that would recognize the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. The resolutions passed unanimously, first in the House of Representatives in December 2005, and in the Senate in February 2006.
May was chosen because of the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in May 2004, which was organized by the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. This coalition was composed of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, the American Jewish Historical Society, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration.
The background for this month's newsletter is artwork by Morris Louis (1912-1962) titled Point of Tranquility (1959-1960). Louis, along with other painters, formed an art movement known as the Washington Color School, which was a form of non-objective or non-representational art. Point of Tranquility was created when Louis turned the canvas as he poured paint. The pattern suggests a flower.
Below, please find a list of resources that may be helpful as we observe this month.
As we enter the last full month of the school year, we often feel like there are a million things to do and not nearly enough time to do them all. It's important that as we celebrate the end of the school year, we also remember to pause, breathe, and pay attention to our own mental health. Check in with yourself in these last few weeks of stress - consider whether you need a break and find ways to nurture your spirit.
Consider these tips for managing end-of-school-year stress:
- Focus on what you can control - how you spend your free time, your priorities, your mindset.
- Collaborate - now is a GREAT time to ask your colleagues to share ideas and offer some of your own.
- Maintain consistency - keeping routines consistent can help kids and adults focused.
- Engage in self-care - make sure you're eating, sleeping, and taking breaks when you need them.
- Celebrate - what a great year it has been!
- De-clutter - do some spring cleaning to get rid of unnecessary clutter.
- Have a grading party - getting end-of-year grading done can be more fun with friends (and snacks!).
- Reflect - what worked well this year that you want to bring to next year? What can you leave behind moving forward?
- Maintain reasonable expectations - don't try to get everything done right now.
- Check in on one another - connect with colleagues.
For more ideas, see this 2025 Wellness Tips Calendar or engage in some mindful coloring.
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 do "transgender" and "transition" mean under Board Policy 5517.03?
To honor students' opportunities to express themselves, P-CCS welcomes students regardless of their gender expression and gender identity, including students who identify as transgender or transitioning. The P-CCS Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Policy (Policy 5517.03) defines transgender and transition as follows:
- Transgender: an adjective describing a person whose gender identity or expression is different from that traditionally associated with an assigned gender at birth.
- Transition: the process in which a person goes from living and identifying as one gender to living and identifying as another. Transition is a process that is different for everyone, and it may or may not involve social, legal, or physical changes. There is no one step or set of steps that an individual must undergo in order to have their gender identity affirmed and respected.
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/departments/teaching-learning/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
Location: 454 South Harvey Street, Plymouth, MI, USA