Sharing Our Stories | Working Hard and Healing
Dear Families,
What a busy week we’ve had with so much deep curricular work well underway. Our students are using their hands to express what they’ve learned. Fourth grade students continued to work with ancestral technologist, Nancye Good, and her team, to experience traditions of the Lenape and Algonquian. Students made burnt out bowls which were used for food preparation and cooking.
In physics class at our sister school, BCS, students have been working with ramps and they have connected with our first graders who are working on building tracks and ramps as well. Together they have experimented with different size and length tracks with a collection of cars – some built and some bought. What an exciting collaboration we had the opportunity to witness.
Room To Grow aka R.T.G. – a powerful student-led initiative to address bias and stereotypes had its final presentation for fourth graders this week. Our very own fifth graders, Lulu and Valentina, have taken the upper grades by storm with their work. They submitted a letter to us, the leaders, that stated the following, “…we decided we should have grade meetings similar to the affinity groups that already exist…our mission is to teach all kids about stereotypes, race, racism, gender equality, sexism, and all sorts of other topics within our school environment and social and political issues. We think it’s important to have meaningful conversations with all students so we can learn about important issues and share our ideas so we can grow into more aware individuals.” We are proud of the work they are undertaking and look forward to the subsequent sessions that will follow.
We started this week by coming in to find a newly displayed sharing of what our Health and Wellness team has been promoting throughout the school. A display has been erected on the second floor near the guidance suite to reiterate the importance of expressing feelings and qualities we hold as values in our community.
As we prepare for Black Lives Matter in Schools Week, starting Monday, January 31st, we want to think about this year’s theme of healing. What was and remains a very traumatic two years in this pandemic, for the way it has hit everyone but particularly communities of color, is present for all of us. Our children are models for us of the ways we can take steps toward healing on an individual level as well as together, a collective. Starting with sharing our stories, and remembering to show each other empathy at every turn, will help us along this path.
Until next time,
D&M
P.S. An update from Rapelye St., where biking continues year round: Anna reports that all of our second graders are officially bike riders! Woohoo!
Calendar: Check Konstella for full Zoom links:
