In our newsletter this month, you will find upcoming dates for the month of November, our shared read aloud, as well as guiding questions and tips for classroom discussions!

• November 7-JOINT Diversity Council Meeting at Hosmer at 6:30pm

• November 11-Veterans' Day

• October 31 to November 1-Diwali

• November 2nd - Celebrating Disability Awareness: Voices and Perspectives

• November 16th- Wicked Bagel Fundraiser for WPS Diversity & Belonging Councils

• November 25th - Anti-Bias Coalition Meeting at 5:30pm at Lowell Learning Commons

• November 28-Thanksgiving Day

• November 29-Native American Heritage Day

*If we miss or incorrectly communicate a holiday, please don't hesitate to reach out*

Our Restorative Practices (and Student Leadership Development) Specialist, Roy Karp, will be offering an introduction to restorative practices workshop! Starting November 7th, this introductory series will meet one Thursday per month from 2:45 - 4:15.

Please see the attached flyer for details, and reach out directly to Roy if you are interested or have questions: roy.karp@watertown.k12.ma.us.

Kate Philipson shared the process below when requesting an interpreter. You can click on the picture to be linked to the individual request forms and additional resources. If you have any questions, please email her kathryn.philipson@watertown.k12.ma.us or nayda.cuevas@watertown.k12.ma.us .

Guiding Questions:

How did the First Peoples and the Fox observe the newcomers?

How did they feel when their seeds were taken?

What did Weeachumun want to First Peoples to do?

How did the First Peoples help the newcomers?

"Many Americans call it a day of thanksgiving. Many of us call it a day of mourning." - What does the author mean by this? How can this day mean different things to different people?

For more information, please visit the book's website https://keepunumuk.com/.

This book is also available on Epic!

Thanksgiving in the Classroom: DOs and DONTs

DO

• Get the story right. If you need a refresher, here is a good article.
• Address inaccurate historical facts. This is where we interrupt and disrupt false narratives.
• Lift Native Voices and Honor Their History
• Design/create lessons that include Native voices/knowledge and do not perpetuate stereotypes or misrepresent Native American traditions. The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian has a curated list of culturally responsive lesson plans and activities.
• When speaking about Indigenous Peoples, make sure to send the message that although we may be speaking of history, Native Americans still live in America and have rich cultures.
• Have students find the land that they live on and write an age-appropriate land acknowledgment
• A crucial part of learning history is modeling how our thinking can shift when we learn more information. Use these sentence starters with your students. “I used to believe ____, but now I believe ____.” “I used to think ____, but now I ____.”

  
  

WHY?

It is our social responsibility to provide students with accurate information and reject traditions that sustain harmful stereotypes about Indigenous peoples.

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DO NOT...

• have students create feather-adorned headbands or headdresses of any sort
• decorate turkeys as the one activity of the day

WHY?

Using stereotypical imagery contributes to teaching the next generation a false narrative about Indigenous people.

Click the link below to learn about and listen to some incredible indigenous musicians with your students this month!