WPS Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Greeting Walpole Community!

We are thrilled to introduce our Third Edition of the WPS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) newsletter. This platform is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and equitable School environment and aims to celebrate the rich diversity that exists among our students, staff, and families, while also providing resources, updates, and opportunities for engagement. As you know, our community is made up of individuals from various backgrounds, cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, and identities. It is this diversity that enriches our educational experience and prepares our students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Through this newsletter, we will highlight the initiatives, programs, and events that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within our district. We will share success stories, showcase the accomplishments of our students and staff, and share professional development opportunities we are engaged in.

Our commitment to equity means that we strive to ensure every student has access to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed. This newsletter will serve as a tool to keep our community informed about the steps we are taking to create a more equitable and educational school environment.

In addition to sharing updates and resources, we also want to hear from you. We encourage you to contribute your ideas, suggestions, and personal experiences to help shape our DEI efforts. We believe that collaboration and open dialogue are essential in creating a truly inclusive community. Together, we can foster an environment where every student feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Yours in Equity,

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Department

Walpole joined the Association of Massachusetts School Equity Leaders for the launch of their Association. Walpole School Committee Chair and Vice Chair joined along at the State House for the event. Dr. Hahn, Our Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning also attended. For more information on The Association of Massachusetts School Equity Leaders, please visit the website attached. https://sites.google.com/view/amsel//

This year our District Equity Task Force has partnered with Dr. Kristina to develop and implement a DEI Continuum. Our partnership with Dr. Kristina was made available through METCO HQ's REI Grant opportunity! This is Walpole's third year on our Equity Journey and the DEI Continuum is a tool that the District is using to gather data from all School stakeholders and will be used to create School based DEI plans and School based Professional Development. The Equity Task Force meets once a month , led by DEI Director Jesenia Burke and Equity Ambassador, Bailey Tighe.

Walpole Public School community members have a shared responsibility to create spaces and curriculum that embrace diversity, learning and belonging. In addition to cultivating relationships with our students, we must acknowledge and work to eliminate bias in order to affirm and promote inclusivity. For direct access to the DEI site, please click the link below.

https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/page/diversity-equity-inclusion

Walpole Administrators participated in the Annual METCO HQ Leadership Retreat! The day was filled with learning, creating action steps and working collaboratively. We also listened to Dr. Darnissa Amonte-Jackson on understanding the Institutional, Ideological, Internalized and Interpersonal components of Equity! Please see the link for more details on the METCO Leadership Retreat https://metcoinc.org/

Our District leaders attended the Annual MPDE Conference at Regis College. The theme this year was Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging: Building a Culture of Belonging. For more information on the Conference, please visit the website at https://mpde.org/events/

The DEI Director has been spending the last few months meeting with various student clubs and groups at the WHS. It provides an opportunity for students to learn about the work happening in the DEI Office and allow for student connections and listening to student voices! If you are interested in having the DEI Director attend one of your School Extracurricular meetings, please email at dei@walpole.k12.ma.us.

Walpole Educators participated in the Suffolk University training offered through METCO HQ! The sessions were held at METCO HQ in Roxbury for both the leadership session and teacher session! The 6 Walpole staff who participated will meet to later in the year to discuss how to implement restorative justice as community practice and where we

WPS will begin the working on Planning for Success, formally known as the District Strategic Plan! Planning for Success is a model developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It serves as a road map for ongoing improvement over a determined time period (3 to 5 years). The planning process takes place over a two to three month period of time to ensure that input from stakeholders is inclusive and comprehensive.

The EdCamp planning committee has been busy working and planning for the annual Walpole EdCamp Professional Development Day! The theme this year is "Elevating Student Voice"! The day is filled with workshops facilitated by WPS staff on Innovation, DEI, SEL! It is a great day of learning for all Educators in the WPS!

If you are doing something in your classroom or school that you would like to have highlighted in our newsletter, please reach out to Mrs Burke (jcburke@walpole.k12.ma.us) or Equity Ambassador, Mrs Tighe (btighe@walpole.k12.ma.us)