Monthly Give and Take

June is when we celebrate our pride in the diverse ways people connect to one another. You may be seeing a lot of rainbow flags and images wherever you look. The rainbow has been a symbol for quite some time now for those who are part of the LGBTQIA2+ community and is often referred to as the Rainbow Community. And those who are showing a rainbow symbol are letting others know that they either identify as LGBTQIA+ or they are an ally, a support, and a safe person to be with for those who belong to this community.  However, it is a lot of letters and many people are not even sure what the letters stand for, let alone what it means to be an ally or a safe person to be around. This is a great opportunity for us all to learn how knowing just a little bit can have a significant impact on others.  First, what are the letters?  L = Lesbian G = Gay B = Bisexual T = Transgender Q = Queer or Questioning I = Intersex A = Asexual 2 = Two-spirit + = To represent other variations Each one of these c

Click here to listen to the podcast May is National Asian Pacific Heritage Month!  I didn't know it at the time, but this new kid to our class would soon become one of my best friends growing up. In the 5th grade, Gia Phu Phan (pronounce ya fu fon) showed up to class one day and I can remember this quiet, if not steely-eyed figure trying to understand what was going on. Gestures and crude sign language were how we helped him navigate our strange American school ways. Nothing seemed to phase him. He just looked intently at all that was happening to him, taking it all in. Classroom work was difficult because of the language barrier, but the playground was where he shown. He could do things with a soccer ball that none of us could do. To hear him laugh and see him have fun was wonderful. Eventually, he started trying out the language. Pronunciation would always be difficult for him, but he was determined like nothing I had ever seen. I don't think I have ever heard him say my actu

This month we are celebrating Women's History Month. Each week we are providing ideas that can be used in classrooms. Please check out the first March blog to see the interview with a very special D7 lady.  This week we have a few ideas for you to use in your classrooms or share with students.  Ideas for each day this week:  Monday - Latinas' Bicultural Political Engagement and Experiences Tuesday - Women's Suffrage Movement  (video) Wednesday - Maryland Museum of Women's History Thursday - Women in Sports Leadership Friday - African American Women and Civil Rights

This month we are celebrating Women's History Month. Each week we are providing ideas that can be used in classrooms.  Yellow Rose Nominations Nominate a friend! You can nominate one of your colleagues for the Yellow Rose Award sponsored by GPHS's Z Club. Click here to make a nomination. Kids can nominate, too. Share the link with them. Nominations are due March 11, so don't delay.  Women in History Posters By now the women in history posters should be in your schools, so keep on the lookout for those hung in places where kids can see them.  The March Blog With an Inspiring Interview If you haven't read the blog or seen the video interview with Sherry Ely, you can check it out here --very inspiring! Activities Flash Judgment Activity. Here is a Google Slide of a flash judgment activity. Have students (and us). Thanks to the District Equity Team for putting this together.  Daily Week Two Ideas Monday: Celebrate Women's History Tuesday : Explore Biographies Wednesd

March is Women's History month and we have so much to celebrate! The month's designation is specifically to honor all the ways that women have been influencers, overcome discrimination, and been foundational in improving the world.  For this month's blog, we are showcasing one of our very own who has been an instrumental part of the success of our school district for decades! Ms. Sherry Ely is our Chief Finance and Operations Officer, and she oversees all of finances, budgeting, facilities, food service, maintenance, safety, and transportation--truly incredible. Check out her interview here . How you can engage in celebrating women this month First of all, do something for your mom. I know Mother's day is in May, but your mom deserves a ton of credit for not only bringing you into this world, she most likely was your primary caregiver, shaping who you are.  There are lots of resources out there, but take a few minutes to see what the National Women's History Museum

 February is African American History Month   Click to Listen to the Podcast I don't even think about it. The color of my skin is the same as 73.3% of the students who attend GP schools and 81% of the staff who work in our schools. So, I don't even think about the color of my skin, and I often have a hard time conceptualizing what it must be like to live each day being reminded that my skin is different from most everyone else. I also don't know much about what it is like to be stereotyped just for looking different. Sure, as a white male, I know I walk into a room with various elements of privilege and people make assumptions about me without ever really knowing me. No one would ever know that I grew up a child of poverty which has created an interesting lens through which I view life. And, if most everyone is of the same race around me, why do we even need to talk about how skin color impacts us differently? Is it such a big deal? Well, it is if you are a person of color-

Welcome to week four of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog,  here is the link  (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note, i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and creating an inclusive and safe place for others. It also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker.   Here are week four's strategies for creating inclusivity in our schools: Attend to Healing The effects of oppression are complex and often hinder our ability to take action. Integrate ongoing healing processes when designing for equity. Why? As Adrienne Marie Brown says, “We all have the capacity to heal each other.” Equity work is challenging and emotional. Trauma, pa

Welcome to week three of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog,  here is the link  (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note , i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and are creating an inclusive and safe place for others. Inclusivity also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker. For those who are looking for Martin Luther King, Jr. resources, here is a pretty good K-12 set from NEA . Week Three Strategies For Creating Inclusivity In Our Schools: Practice Self-Awareness Who we are determines how we create and design our school environments. Looking in the “mirror” reveals what we see, how we relate, and how our perspectives impact our

Welcome to week two of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog, here is the link (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note, i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and creating an inclusive and safe place for others. It also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker.    No Child Eats Alone Challenge Take a moment today and see how the students are doing. Are there any students eating or playing alone? Find ways to help all students participate in school and feel like they belong. Encourage other students to go make a new friend with one of the students who seem to always be on the edge of the playground, campus, or cafeteria.   Diversity I

January is D7 Diversity Month‒ No Child Eats Alone Click for Podcast version January is the official start to our equity work each year as a district and we are claiming January as our Diversity Celebration Month. Each week, there will be diversity ideas to share. Our first focus is what we are calling, “no child eats alone.” I think we can all relate to eating together and how that can bring us closer together. So, this is more than just eating lunch together, this is about our relationships with each other. This is to make sure that every student in our district feels like they belong.  Belonging vs. Fitting In For so many of our students, they are working hard each day to fit in. We know from the research and quite frankly, from our own experiences, how much harder it is to fit in than if you just belonged. For me, I think about when I was a freshman in high school. I can remember how I really struggled to be calm since each day seemed to bring with it so many unknowns–will I reme