Dear Members of the Westwood Public Schools Community:
We hope you are enjoying the summer and spending some time relaxing and having fun with family and friends. As we start to plan for the 2024-2025 school year, the School Engagement Committee (SEC) wanted to take a moment to share with you a summary of last year’s Conversation with Caregivers series and the resources provided during those conversations. Additionally, the SEC would like feedback on last year’s series, gather your input on topics for this year’s Conversation with Caregivers, and give you information about a book discussion that the SEC will be hosting this fall.
Last year, the SEC completed a series of Conversations with Caregivers that consisted of panel discussions, presentations, and question and answer sessions allowing for open dialog, conversation, sharing, and learning. Last year’s topics included: A Panel and Discussion on Furthering Belonging in the Westwood Public Schools, A Look at Social Emotional Learning within Westwood Public Schools, Supporting LGBTQ Students and Families in Westwood - A Talk with Ed Byrne, and Behavioral & Mental Health Resources and Support for Westwood Families. A brief summary of these presentations is linked here, along with the resources that were provided by the facilitators.
As we plan for our 2024-2025 Conversation with Caregivers series, your input would be very useful in determining which topics would be the most helpful to our families. Please take a moment to complete this short survey to help us assess last year’s offerings and/or select next year’s topics.
Finally, as you may recall from his May 28th email to Westwood Families, Superintendent Piwowar has formed a Cell Phone Use in Schools task force to examine the research base and to develop guiding principles that will inform future policy decisions at the school and/or district level. One of the resources the task force will be using is Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. The SEC invites all members of the school community to read the book and join us for a book discussion as part of our first in a series of 2024-2025 Conversation with Caregivers. The book discussion will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 6:30 in the Professional Development Room in the Central Administration Office.
Thank you for your interest and input in our Conversation with Caregiver series. We look forward to reviewing your survey responses and hope to see you in October at our first Conversation with Caregivers.
Sincerely,
Lateefah Franck, Director of Equity, Integration, and Community Partnerships
Donna Tobin, Director of Social and Emotional Learning
School Engagement Committee Co-chairs, Meg Lutze and Nedal Smith
It is important that all families in our school feel a sense of belonging and community. We do this by acknowledging important holidays, observances, and celebrations. Please let us know if there is an important holiday or observance that your family celebrates or recognizes that you would like us to be aware of. Learning about each other and the people in our community helps us build a more inclusive environment.
Join our equity learning community! Explore some of the books, articles, videos, and websites we have found valuable in building diversity, equity, and integration in Westwood.
Here are some suggestions to help educators engage students in thinking broadly and critically:
Diverse Perspectives:
Include a diverse range of voices and perspectives in the curriculum. Highlight women from different ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of women's experiences.
Interactive Activities:
Incorporate interactive activities such as discussions, debates, and projects to encourage active engagement. This can help students think critically and express their opinions on various aspects of women's history.
Literature Exploration:
Integrate literature written by and about women into the curriculum. This can include novels, poetry, and autobiographies that provide insights into women's experiences and challenges.
Primary Source Analysis:
Use primary sources, such as letters, diaries, and speeches, to allow students to analyze firsthand accounts of women's experiences. This can provide a more authentic and personal connection to historical events.
Guest Speakers and Role Models:
Invite guest speakers or arrange virtual sessions with women who have made significant contributions in various fields. This can inspire students and provide real-world examples of success.
Art and Creativity:
Explore the arts as a means of expression. Showcase artworks, music, and performances that celebrate and represent women's stories. Encourage students to create their artistic expressions related to women's history.
Intersectionality:
Emphasize the intersectionality of women's experiences by exploring how factors such as race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and ability intersect with gender. This promotes a more nuanced understanding of women's history.
Local and Global Perspectives:
Connect the curriculum to both local and global contexts. Highlight women's contributions within the community and discuss global movements that have shaped women's rights.
Critical Thinking Exercises:
Design critical thinking exercises that encourage students to question gender norms, stereotypes, and biases. This can foster a deeper understanding of societal expectations and challenges.
Equity and Social Justice:
Integrate discussions about equity and social justice into the curriculum. Explore current issues related to women's rights and empower students to become advocates for positive change.
Suggestions for Supporting Students during Ramadan
Remember that when someone is fasting, breakfast begins before sunrise so people will be up very early in the day and may be quite tired by the end of the day.
A warm greeting is always welcome. You can extend greetings by saying: “Happy Ramadan,” “Ramadan Mubarak” (blessed Ramadan), or “Ramadan Karim” (generous Ramadan). Similarly, for Eid-ul-Fitr we say “Happy Eid” or “Eid Mubarak.”
Prayer: Mid-day prayer (Zuhr prayers) typically falls during school hours, so students may need 7-10 minutes to perform these prayers in a private space.
Assessments: Avoid scheduling assessments or events (such as field trips) on Eid ul-Fitr. Providing additional time to any student observing Ramadan during assessments given during Ramadan if a student requests it.
Mealtimes: Students observing Ramadan should have the option to study and/or read in the library during their assigned snack or lunch period or recess (if too hot outside).
Physical Education: Students observing Ramadan have the option to be excused from participating in physical education if they choose to do so. Alternative assignments could be provided.
Outdoors: When Ramadan falls during the warmer months of the year, be mindful in situations that involve extended hours in the heat. Providing an indoor alternative, if students request.
Libraries: Provide books about Ramadan.
Information originally developed by Nadine Tassabehji, PhD, RD, LDN, for the Fiske School Community; updated and revised with contributions from Sara Sheikh, Nadine Tassabehji, Seri Latiff, and Amber Iqbal.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Boston’s free African American community led the nation in the movement to end slavery and achieve equal rights. Their houses of worship, homes, schools, and Underground Railroad sites make up Boston’s Black Heritage Trail. A virtual tour is also available through the National Park Service website.
Educators throughout the district have participated in courses and book studies to guide our work and thinking:
Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad
Unconscious Bias In Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism by Tracey A. Benson and Sarah E. Fiarman
Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race, and Identity in the Classroom by Jalene Tamerat, Marie Lily Cerat, and Patrick Sylvain
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
We work with IDEAS: Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students as a M.A.S.S.: Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and professional development partner for DEI.
Westwood works with MPDE: Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education to meet and recruit educators of color as prospective candidates for faculty and staff positions.
Conversations With Caregivers Series
Conversations with Caregivers, hosted by Westwood Public Schools Office of Equity, Integration, and Community Partnerships in collaboration with the School Engagement Committee, is a series of conversations on topics of interest to families within Westwood Public Schools. The series comprises panel discussions, presentations, and question and answer sessions allowing for open dialog, conversation, sharing, and learning. The Westwood Public Schools’ School Engagement Committee appreciates the community’s participation in this year's conversations and hopes that you will consider joining us for our series of Conversations with Caregivers during the 2024-2025 school year (dates and topics to be announced soon).
Recap of 2023 - 2024 Conversations with Caregivers Presentations and Resources
December 6, 2023 - A Panel and Discussion on Furthering Belonging in the Westwood Public Schools
Individuals representing the diverse communities within Westwood Public Schools shared their personal stories and experiences as part of the community and answered the following questions to help guide our conversation on working to ensure a sense of belonging for all members of our community.
Thinking about the identity that you are representing;
What do you want the community to know about you and your family?
As community allies, how have we supported you and your family?
In what ways can the community do better in supporting you and your family?
What specific activities, events, relationships, etc. have brought joy to you and your family?
January 16, 2024 - Social Emotional Learning within Westwood Public Schools
Presenters from Westwood Integrated Preschool, Westwood Elementary Schools, Thurston Middle School, and Westwood High School share information on what is happening at each level to support students’ Social and Emotional Skill development within Westwood Public Schools.
March 26, 2024 (rescheduled to April 23, 2024) - Supporting LGBTQ Students and Families in Westwood - A Talk with Ed Byrne
Presenter Ed Byrne, who spent a decade as the coordinator of Student Diversity Programs with Cambridge Public Schools and served two terms on the leadership team of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, shared ways to support students and families who identify as LGBTQ+ and lead the discussion on what we can do to make Westwood an even more inclusive community.
May 14, 2024 - Behavioral & Mental Health Support for Westwood Families
Panelists from Westwood Public Schools, Westwood Youth and Family Services, Riverside Community Service Agency, William James College INTERFACE referral program, and Massachusetts Behavioral HelpLine each shared information about their program/resource, how caregivers can access their programs, and what information would be needed to obtain services. Panelists also discussed trends and things that are surfacing with students around mental health at this time.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Boston’s free African American community led the nation in the movement to end slavery and achieve equal rights. Their houses of worship, homes, schools, and Underground Railroad sites make up Boston’s Black Heritage Trail. A virtual tour is also available through the National Park Service website.
This Disney video features ABC News cast members sharing the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a courageous civil rights leader who inspired millions of people.
The Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive collection of children's picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC) and includes trade books published since 2002.
The resources in this section are meant to be a guide, an introduction to something new, or deepen your understanding if you are interested in supporting educational equity.
"Education broadens our horizons and enables us to confront realities we'd never before anticipated."
Betsy DeVos
This Netflix series features celebrity readers sharing children’s books by Black authors to spark child-centered conversations about empathy, equity, and love.
This Netflix series features celebrity readers sharing children’s books by Black authors to spark child-centered conversations about empathy, equity, and love.
This Disney video features ABC News cast members sharing the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a courageous civil rights leader who inspired millions of people.
The scholastic video explains the Lunar New Year to children and provides visual examples of traditions that celebrate the important holiday.
Students learn best when they are in school communities where their individual perspectives are valued.
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character: that is the goal of education."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
