February 2024 DEI Newsletter

Understanding and standing up to hate is difficult for many people and for a number of reasons. Maybe we choose to overlook something that seems "minor", maybe we feel like a deer caught in headlights, not knowing what to say, maybe we don't want to embarrass someone, or maybe we ourselves don't want to be judged by others. In the short run, it seems much easier to sometimes do nothing. However, the Pyramid of Hate shows what can happen when hate is unchecked, and the seeds of hate, once planted, can quickly grow from biased ideas to hate violence. Here are some steps to prepare yourself and your students to understand and stand up to hate:

• Commit to being a person who will say something in the face of hate
• Have some ready responses that will work in a variety of moments
• Practice these phrases aloud, memorize them
• Discuss with students why some words or behaviors hurt, help students understand their power to hurt
• Develop ground rules for communication with student input at the beginning of the year
• Have students of different backgrounds work on projects together
• Learn about the Interrupt, Question, Educate, Echo strategies, see the Speak Up at School guides below

Use these resources to help recognize and discuss hate, improve critical thinking skills, develop empathy and a sense of civic responsibility (lessons, scenarios, phrases, context):

• Mini Lesson, Teaching the Pyramid of Hate
• Slurs, Offensive Jokes and How to Respond - 7-12 Lesson Plan
  
• Speak Up at School- Teacher Guide
• Speak Up Against Bias Pocket Guide (pdf), assembly video
• Eight Ways to Stand Up to Hate

Really exciting DEI work going on at the Atherton Hough!!

• Cross-Age Teaching: Ms. Niosi is working with the 5th grade to share what they learn about Black History Month with younger classes. Students will be doing read aloud's, and creating digital slides to include on school wide morning announcements. Atherton had great success with a similar effort last year where the 5th graders shared what they learned about different disabilities. This is an amazing example of culturally responsive teaching practices: building students' brain power by improving information processing skills, leveraging students' neural pathways to make learning easier, providing opportunities for students to feel seen and heard, encouraging group harmony and interdependence (relationships between older and younger students)
• Honoring MLK, Jr: In January, students in each grade were given books and videos about MLK Jr, and then they made a school wide Peace Tree, see picture below.
• No One Eats Alone, February 16: Atherton students will be participating in No One Eats Alone Day on February 16. Beyond Differences provides lessons, guidance for student leadership, activities and materials for a schoolwide art project. The purpose of the day is to encourage youth to sit with others, find new friends, and model ways to end social isolation. It was listed as a top recommendation to foster social connection in schools by the Surgeon General’s Office.
• Travel Tuesday: Principal Moreira has incorporated Travel Tuesday during the morning announcements where students look forward to learning about different places around the world, related fun facts, and where that place is located on a map. See below for the slide about the history of World Kindness Day in Tokyo, Japan!
• Family Engagement: Ms. Kane invited one of her student's parents to come to class to talk about how they celebrate their holidays in December. The family celebrates Hanukkah and she came to the class to read a book on Hanukkah as well as teach the students how to play the dreidel game.

• High School Education Interns: Please read this article about why high school kids should start teaching younger students. With funding from DESE's Teacher Diversification grant, we are now looking for placements at schools for Juniors and Seniors interested in interning in your classrooms and afterschool programs. If you are interested in hosting an intern on a WEEKLY basis beginning in March, please complete this form. We currently have funding for 15 students from NQHS, and 15 from QHS. We have applied for additional funding from a different source, which may allow us to have more interns, stay tuned. If you are interested in having some interns for a DISCRETE event or project, please enter the information into this spreadsheet. If you know of Junior or Senior students, especially of underrepresented backgrounds in HS, who would be interested in this opportunity, please have them apply to be considered using this form. More info on this flyer.
• Change the World- Become a Teacher, Virtual Conference, Wednesday, March 20, 8:30-11am, high school and college students are invited to hear from current and past teachers of the year about the rewards of teaching as a career. This event is hosted by Bridgewater State University. RSVP here
• Asian American High School Student Scholarship Contest, Make Noise Today, Amplifying Heritage, Empowering Futures; please share and encourage students to enter this contest that allows Asian American HS students to explore, express and celebrate what ties them to their cultural roots. 3 categories: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Literary Arts. Submissions close March 1. Prizes in each category, 1st Place, $2,000, 2nd Place, $1,000, 3rd Place, $500. Submission form here.
• Teachers on Emergency Licenses: Bridgewater State is offering a FREE program for teachers on emergency licenses to earn an initial teaching license in Special Education, Moderate Disabilities, Secondary Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. For more info, complete this form.
• Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts Fellowship, a 2-year leadership program for high school leader preparation, $20,000 stipend over 2 years (in addition to your salary); for teachers with a minimum of 5 years of teaching experience, deep belief in reimagining high school, commitment to equity, student-centered culture, and serving all students. Apply here by February 29
• Multistate Association for Bilingual Education (MABE) Annual Dual Language Education Conference, Saturday, March 9, 7:30-4:00pm, Providence Career & Technical Academy, Rhode Island; Registration closes February 23. Register here Cost: $250, Scholarships available.

• Charting the Path Forward, Challenges and Opportunities in Immigrant Integration, Friday, March 1, 9:00-3:00pm, 108 Myrtle St. Quincy, please share with anyone interested in supporting immigrant integration, or with families who themselves are immigrants to network and find support. RSVP. Hosted by the Immigrant Family Services Institute

• Links to past DEI Newsletters- easy access to past newsletters to review past topics including Welcoming Your Students, Cultural Intelligence, Focus on Attendance, Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations, and Protocols to get ALL Students talking in Class Discussions.
  
• Specific Topics- want resources on a particular topic? Feel free to email me at kimconnolly@quincypublicschools.com

• Black History Month, all of February
  

• Low Vision Awareness Month, all of February

• National Freedom Day, 2/1

• Groundhog Day, 2/2

• Lunar New Year, 2/10; Chinese New Year: 15 days; Tết Nguyen Đán (Vietnamese New Year): one week; Seollal (Korean New Year): 3 days

• Ash Wednesday, 2/14
  

• Valentine’s Day, 2/14

• Spring Lantern Festival, 2/15
  

• Women’s History Month, all of March
  

• Irish American Heritage Month, all of March
  

• Greek American Heritage Month, all of March
  

• National Developmental Disability Awareness Month, all of March
  

• Ramadan, 3/10- 4/8
  

• St. Patrick’s Day, 3/17
  

• Black History Month
• Lunar New Year; QARI Lunar New Year Event on 2/18 at NQHS, 11-3pm, FREE
• Low Vision Awareness Month Activities and Articles
• National Freedom Day lessons
• Groundhog Day lesson/activity; Teach with Movies: Groundhog Day
• Developmental Differences
• Women's History Month
• Ramadan
• Ireland Education Modules
• Greek Education Lessons