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Dear WSHS Pyramid Families,
Many thanks to all the parents and guardians who participated in the West Springfield Pyramid Principals’ Community Chat on June 30th. We appreciated the opportunity to hear from everyone who was willing to engage, speak your truth, experience discomfort, and accept non-closure. There were approximately 250 people who joined us. If you weren’t able to participate, you can view the recording of the meeting at this link: Community Forum - recording_1. We need to let you know that there is strong language at one point in this recording, during a retelling of the language of racism and hate some of our Black and African American students have experienced and endured.
We had several takeaways from our conversation. Key areas of growth from the conversation included:
- Hiring more diverse staff members
- Creating a social studies curriculum that presents diverse perspectives and challenges students to critically examine materials, events, and institutions for bias, identity, and multiple perspectives. (See what FCPS is already doing here: https://www.fcps.edu/news/social-studies-teachers-collaborate-colleagues-statewide-create-anti-racist-culturally)
- Providing more books in libraries, classroom libraries, and instruction that reflect the diversity in our schools
- Recognizing cultural history (Black, Asian Pacific, Hispanic, Native American) equitably across all schools
- Clearly articulating and demonstrating to students, staff, and families, as incidents occur, that the behaviors and language of racism, hate, and bias are not acceptable nor tolerated
Please remember that this was our very first conversation about welcoming and embracing differences as a pyramid. There will be ongoing conversations as a pyramid and as individual schools, and your principals are committed to listen, to learn, and to take action to make our schools more inclusive and welcoming of all students and families.
Sincerely,
Maureen Boland, Rolling Valley ES
Cindy Conley, Irving MS
Felicia Drake, Cardinal Forrest ES
David Fee, Hunt Valley ES
Renee Miller, Keene Mill ES
Mike Mukai, West Springfield HS
Lisa Reddel, Sangster ES
Kelly Sheers, West Springfield ES
Karen Tuttle, Orange Hunt ES
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