Tashua Parent Diversity Committee: National Arab American Heritage Month
National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) is an annual commemoration in April of the culture, traditions and history of Arab American people in the United States. In 2017, two non-profit organizations initiated the launch of an official national designation of the month. It began with support from a few states, and has gained momentum each year. According to the Arab American Institute, an estimated 3.7 million Americans trace their roots to an Arab country. The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa including Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Arab American Heritage Month is an excellent time to explore the rich history and culture of people who are Arab American as well as analyzing the bias and discrimination faced by them.
Source: https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/national-arab-american-heritage-month-resources
Take a look at the resources below to acknowledge and learn more with your family!
Web Resources:
https://arabamericafoundation.org/national-arab-american-heritage-month/
https://www.aaiusa.org/demographics
Children’s Books:
https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/arab/
https://www.aclib.us/blog/middle-grade-books-arab-american-heritage-month
https://americanwritersmuseum.org/arab-american-heritage-month-book-picks/
https://www.clmp.org/news/a-reading-list-for-arab-american-heritage-month-and-beyond/
School Climate Survey
Trumbull Public Schools invite you to take part in our 2024-2025 School Climate Survey. Your insights are crucial in our ongoing efforts to enhance our schools and foster a vibrant school community. Together, we can work towards creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere where every voice is heard and valued. To take the, use the link: https://forms.gle/3J4K1zncSS422dc39
Although the start of the 2025-26 school year is several months away, we will begin our class placement process after the April break. This is a very involved process, as we will strive to create balanced classes at each grade level. In addition to balancing the number of boys and girls in a class, we also strive to create academically balanced classes. The goal is to create classes in which each classroom teacher will be able to meet the needs of all learners. This is a very complex process.
As we begin this task, we will keep the following goals foremost in our mind:
- to consider the needs of all students and to maximize our ability to deliver appropriate instruction in accordance with students’ needs
- to consider any unique needs that any student might have
The process for assigning children to classes will begin with the current classroom teachers who will meet together by grade level with our reading consultants, math specialist, our social worker, and me. We will meet again several times to make any changes which we feel will benefit the groupings. Modifications will be made as necessary, resulting in the final lists.
I would also like to offer parents the opportunity to be a part of this process. While it is
impossible for me to accept requests from parents for specific teachers, you may write a letter to me explaining your child’s learning style and the type of learning environment you feel is best for your child.
In past years, some parents/guardians have made requests of current classroom teachers to place their children with particular teachers or students for the next grade. Please understand that
teachers cannot honor these requests; there is no reason to meet with teachers to discuss next year’s placement.
If you, as a parent/guardian, feel your child has a particular learning need in which we might be unaware, I ask that you inform me, in writing, of your child’s need. I will then bring this need to the attention of our teachers. This is not an opportunity to request teachers or classmates; it is merely an opportunity to make us aware of your child’s needs. No teacher names should appear in your letter. Further, the names of other students should also not appear in your letter, as your request could potentially impact another student’s learning needs. In order to meet our timeline, I must have your letter by Friday, April 25th: NO EXCEPTIONS.
All of these steps will be completed prior to the end of the school year. Throughout the months of July and August, new students who move into the Tashua district will be added to the lists. Students who move from our district will be removed from the lists. Occasionally there may be staff changes. In any of these instances, we may find that one change necessitates another. It is for this reason that we notify families/students of class placement in our August communications.
Please know we all take this process very seriously. We want the best placement for each child at Tashua School and we will work diligently to ensure that we reach this goal.
