Equitable Classrooms

We are excited to bring you this month's edition of our newsletter, "Equitable Classrooms!" For new staff, these newsletters are dedicated to sharing and celebrating teaching practices that foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within our classrooms at Rye Neck.

Our monthly newsletter is dedicated towards a commitment to celebrate, explore, and amplify the richness that diversity brings to our Rye Neck community.

We invite your feedback and suggestions to make this a valuable resource for your classroom!

Best,

Tara Goldberg & Meegan Lawlor

DEI Coordinators

On Tuesday, 11/26, the PTSA arranged for Ms. Sheila Arnold to present to eighth graders and high school students. As a talented actress and storyteller, Ms. Arnold presented to the 8th grade as Madame CJ Walker, the first female, African American millionaire in the early 1900s. Ms. Walker's products are in use today. In the presentation, Ms. Arnold spoke as Ms. Walker about segregation, her business, challenges that she faced, and the need for economic opportunity. Ms. Arnold performed for the high school examining life in America in 1850. Using songs, stories, and historical information, Ms. Arnold presented information in a very engaging way.

Students in first grade constructed family trees that were presented to classmates and shared in the hallway. They learned the difference between immediate and extended families and learned how to create a timeline of their own history and that of their families. The essential question was, "How are families alike and different?" Students were able to share about their own family and learn about their classmates families.

Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, discusses culturally responsive teaching- what it is and what it is not.

This is an 10 minute video that is PART 1 of 4 PARTS:

Zaretta Hammond: Culturally Responsive Teaching 101

Read highlights here: https://bit.ly/32xZ4Nw

The links for all parts of this video series are below.

Part 2: • Zaretta Hammond: Using Neuroscience t...

Part 3: • Zaretta Hammond: Classroom Video is t...

Part 4: • Zaretta Hammond: How to Combat Learni...

December is not designated as a special heritage month, but it does have some internationally recognized celebratory days.

We encourage you to recognize the many observances that will take place this season for your students and colleagues. Some include~

International Day of People with Disabilities: December 3rd

Hanukkah: The eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins Dec. 25th. A central part of the Jewish Festival of Lights entails the lighting of a nine-branched menorah each night. (The ninth candle is used to light the others.) The ritual symbolizes how one day’s worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight days during a battle between a small group of Jewish people and the powerful Greek-Syrian army in 165 B.C. Per Jewish tradition, they are said to have emerged victorious and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. December 25 to January 2nd

Christmas: Christians celebrate Christmas largely to commemorate the birth of Jesus. But the festival has also been adopted as a secular family holiday by people of all faiths. It’s marked by an exchange of gifts as well as excitement for the arrival of Santa Claus.

Kwanzaa: The week-long holiday of Kwanzaa honors African-American heritage; it’s a cultural holiday as opposed to a religious one. December 26th to January 1st

This year, we have created a collection of tools that can help you on your DEI journey, Feel free to examine the links in this "workshop" slide. Throughout the year, we will add resources to this slide. When you come across resources you think may help others on their DEI journey, please forward them to one of us so we can add them.

ADL Education

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

Learning for Justice

NYSED DEI Resources

RN DEI "Workshop"

We welcome feedback to help make this publication as resourceful and inspiring as possible, and tailored to your interests. We invite you to reach out to us if you have resources to share and/or questions to ask. 😊

DEI Page RNWebsite

RN DEI "Workshop" RN DEI "Workshop"

Tara Goldberg: tgoldberg@ryeneck.org

Meegan Lawlor: mlawlor@ryeneck.org