• September 30th - October 6th: Sukkot
• October 7th: Shemini Atzeret
• October 8th: Simchat Torah
• October 9th: Indigenous Peoples Day
• October 16th - October 24th: Navratri/Dussehra

• Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

*If we miss or incorrectly communicate a holiday, please don't hesitate to reach out**

• October 1st: Watertown's 2nd Celebration of Indigenous People's Day @1:30-5:00 at Hosmer Elementary from Pigsgusset Initiative (link for more information and link for the Program)
• October 12th 6:00-8:00pm | Cunniff International Night
• November 2nd: JOINT Diversity and Belonging Council Meeting @ Lowell: (Childcare Provided)

DBC Meeting Dates:

Lowell - October 5th, 6:30-7:30 (DBC Meeting Zoom Link | Lowell)

Hosmer - October 5th 6:30-7:30 (DBC Meeting Zoom Link | Hosmer)

Cunniff - October 25th 7-8 ( DBC Meeting Zoom Link | Cunniff)

The Science of Skin Color

Here are two quick videos that help students better understand the Science of Skin Color. This can be a great introduction to sharing our differences.

TikTok video from Bill Nye Or Ted-Ed video

Halloween is often considered a secular holiday, like Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving, meaning it’s not associated with any particular religion. This is why it’s not unusual for public schools to have Halloween activities dedicated to the day (unlike Christmas or Hanukkah which often become “winter celebrations” to be inclusive to all). But Halloween does actually have roots in the religious tradition, and so it makes sense that certain religious groups don’t celebrate Halloween.

Halloween is a time of year when you can come into school dressed as a unicorn or a zombie and includes creativity, candy, and costumes.

However, it is not an excuse to mock someone else’s culture, racial, ethnic, or gender identity.

Whether it is intentional or not, wearing certain costumes has real consequences and negatively impacts the people who deal with this kind of discrimination every day.

In the spirit of INCLUSIVITY in education, consider letting Halloween be an at-home experience for those who participate in the activities. There are many alternatives to Halloween that can still be fun for learners. Many educators have shifted to celebrating the seasons. It’s not Halloween per se that makes the learning or day fun. It’s the culminating sensory, hands-on, social experiences that do.