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Curiosity Corner

Curiosity Corner
Curiosity Corner

Curiosity Corner is a weekly opportunity for adults/caregivers to learn more about important policies, such as the gender inclusivity and anti-racism policies, that guide the district and its commitments. The goal of Curiosity Corner is to give you a chance to learn alongside your student(s), hear personal stories that humanize the costs of inequality and discrimination, perhaps stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone, and (hopefully) practice compassion—whether or not you fully understand or “agree” with someone else’s lived reality. Together, we believe we can ensure a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all.

26-27 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs 26-27 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs

Week 1: Holidays and Celebrations

Week 2: Jewish High Holy Days

Week 3: The Mid-Autumn/ Autumn Moon Festival

Week 4: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Week 5: Deaf Awareness Month

Week 6: LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day

Week 7: Indigenous People’s Day

Week 8: ADHD Awareness Month

Week 9: Día de los Muertos

Week 10: Diwali

Week 11: Native American Heritage Month

25-26 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs 25-26 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs

Week 1: Welcome Back to the Curiosity Corner!

Week 2: Why Public Education Matters

Week 3: Educational Equity

Week 4: HSD Vision of a Graduate and Equity

Week 5: Bringing the Vision of a Graduate to Life with Link Crew

Week 6: Equity and Indigeneity

Week 7: Restorative Justice and Practices in Schools

Week 8: Circle Practice

Week 9: Restorative Questions

Week 10: Trauma-informed Restorative Practices

Week 11: Restorative Practices at Home

Week 12: The Real History of Thanksgiving

Week 13: Vermont's Educational Quality Standards

Week 14: Culturally Responsive Learning

Week 15: Social Emotional Learning

Week 16: Proficiency Based Learning

Week 17: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Week 18: Circles at All LevelsWeek 19: Using Community Circles

Week 19: Using Community Circles

Week 20: Black History Month

Week 21: HSD Neurodiversity and Inclusion Statement

Week 22: What is Neurodiversity?

Week 23: Moving from Deficit to Strength-Based Thinking

Week 24: Accommodations vs. Universal Design

Week 25: Inclusive Classrooms

Week 26: Declarative Language

Week 27: Neurodiversity Affirming Practice

Week 28: Neuro-affirming Spaces

Week 29: Books as Windows, Sliding Glass Doors, and Mirrors to Neurodiversity

Week 30: Co-Creating a Culture of Belonging

Week 31: How we talk about DEI at home

Week 32: Modeling Inclusivity For Our Kids (Part 1 of 4)

Week 33: Modeling Inclusivity For Our Kids (Part 2)

Week 34: Modeling Inclusivity For Our Kids (Part 3)

Week 35: Modeling Inclusivity For Our Kids (Part 4)

Week 36: How Every School Role Powers Educational Equity

24-25 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs 24-25 Curiosity Corner Equity Blurbs

Week 1 (9/2/24): Welcome and Introducing the Curiosity Corner

Week 2 (9/9/24): Why are we even talking about gender identity and sexual orientation? Is it the school’s role?

Week 3 (9/16/24): Gender Basic Terms and Definitions

Week 4 (9/23/24): What is the school climate like for transgender and other LGBTQ+ students and what do we know about the realities of being trans/nonbinary?

Week 5 (9/30/24): Why is it important to use people’s identified pronouns? What if they/them is hard for me and I make mistakes?

Week 6 (10/7/24): Is being nonbinary/transgender just a trend? And other FAQs

No Curiosity Corner this week (10/14/24): Indigenous People’s Day

Week 7 (10/21/24): Honoring Indigenous People’s Histories and Stories

Week 8 (10/28/24): We need to talk about boys

Week 9 (11/4/24): Gender and sports: Six Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked

Week 10 (11/11/24): Bathrooms and Gender

Week 11 (11/18/24): How to talk to kids about gender

No Curiosity Corner this week (11/25/24): Thanksgiving Break

Week 12 (12/2/24): Gender 101 and FAQ

Week 13 (12/9/24): Real Talk: Parents of Trans Kids

Week 14 (12/16/24): Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Week 15 (1/6/25): How is diversity and inclusion good for all students?

Week 16 (1/13/25): The Real Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.

No Curiosity Corner this week (1/20/25): Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Week 17 (1/27/25): What does it mean to be Anti-Racist?

Week 18 (2/3/25): Privilege

Week 19 (2/10/25): What's the difference between an ally and a co-conspirator?

No Curiosity Corner this week (2/17/25): February Break

Week 20 (2/24/25): FAQ- Anti Racism Policy

Week 21 (3/3/25): March is Women's History Month

Week 22 (3/10/25): Your Identity is Your Superpower

Week 23 (3/17/25): Breaking Stereotypes about Women

Week 24 (3/24/25): March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility

Week 25 (3/31/25): bell hooks - Feminism is for Everybody

Week 26 (4/7/25): Celebrate Diversity Month

No Curiosity Corner this week (4/14/25): April Break

Week 27 (4/21/25): The Power of Stories

Week 28 (4/28/25): Joe Major

Week 29 (5/5/25): Women Can Do

Week 30 (5/12/25): A Hartford Student's Story

Week 31 (5/19/25): WRJ Pride

Week 32 (5/26/25): Boys Will Be...

Week 33 (6/2/25): Wrap Up and Thank You!

Where is the information for Curiosity Corner sourced from?

Curiosity Corner draws from reliable and reputable resources that are driven by evidence, where possible. However, when people are systematically discriminated against (like trans folks and those from BIPOC communities), they also tend to be left out of quality data collection efforts, which makes relying on a narrow definition of “evidence” incomplete. With this in mind, Curiosity Corner brings together multiple ways of knowing, including scientific evidence from peer-reviewed publications, local and national survey data, reputable news sources, as well as lived experiences of local and nonlocal diverse folks.

Julia Lau
Hartford School District Equity Coordinator
https://hsdvt.com/equity-and-inclusion
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