STANDING STRONG TOGETHER

Dear Hayfield Families,

There is so much going on in our world today! In addition to navigating the changes of living life in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are aware of the many emotions in response to the civil unrest that has been occurring in our country over the last several weeks. Both sets of events have shed light on how much work we have ahead of us to establish and provide a culturally responsive learning environment for our students, staff, and school community. We are proud of the diversity that is represented within our Hayfield community and are committed to making sure each and every student feels safe and valued.

Part of that work will include engagement in the hard conversations of race and justice. We recognize how hard this task will be, and we ask for your support and collaboration. While it may be uncomfortable, children are capable of understanding and having developmentally appropriate conversations about race. We have shared, below, additional resources to support you in this process of clarifying and disseminating difficult thoughts and feelings with the adults and especially the children around you at this time.

• YouTube version of Something Happened In Our Town, a children’s story that aims to answer children’s questions about such traumatic events and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.
• National Association of School Psychologists: Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents
• Center for Racial Justice in Education: Resources for Talking About Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids
• National Geographic: Talking to Kids About Race

In addition, our teachers have been provided with resources should our students have questions or desire to talk about these issues during our last few days of Distance Learning and in the future. Know that, even virtually, we are still here to support your family. Take good care!

Jessica Lewis and Samantha Goldstein