2.21.20
When I was growing up, the only places I can recall wholehearted celebration of Black History Month were at home and at church. In both places, I learned the Black National Anthem (formerly the Negro National Anthem), “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” and heard or read poems and stories about people who looked like me. These were the two places that my racial identity was reinforced and celebrated.
During Black History Month, students at FCS are engaged in a variety of ways to learn about the experience and achievements of Black people and their impact on United States’s history and culture. At the conclusion of Meeting for Worship, students sing “Lift Ev’ry Voice.” Last week and next week, students and adults in grades 3 and up are sharing Read-Ins, listening to and reading works by Black authors. (Parents are invited to join us for the Middle School Read-In, focusing on poetry, next Tuesday, February 25, from 12:45 to 1:30 PM.) Classroom doors are being transformed into museum pieces depicting Black contributions to culture, science, the arts, and social justice. I am grateful to be in an educational community in which children’s racial identities are affirmed, and children have an opportunity to learn deeply about each other.
FCS continues to think about how social identifiers (race, class, religion, family structure, age, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation) of our children and families are acknowledged and recognized. This Sunday, Rodney Glasgow engages the FCS Board of Trustees on strategic and generative thinking related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. On Tuesday, March 10, Rodney will share an update on his work with constituents of the FCS community and how parents can help prepare their children for an increasingly diverse world (see details below). Next month, the Board Diversity Committee will reissue the NAIS Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism to further understand the experiences of all members of the FCS community. The goal is to find ways--through culture, policies, procedures, and pedagogy--to more fully value and celebrate “that of God” in all.
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FCS continues to think about how social identifiers (race, class, religion, family structure, age, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation) of our children and families are acknowledged and recognized. This Sunday, Rodney Glasgow engages the FCS Board of Trustees on strategic and generative thinking related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. On Tuesday, March 10, Rodney will share an update on his work with constituents of the FCS community and how parents can help prepare their children for an increasingly diverse world (see details below). Next month, the Board Diversity Committee will reissue the NAIS Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism to further understand the experiences of all members of the FCS community. The goal is to find ways--through culture, policies, procedures, and pedagogy--to more fully value and celebrate “that of God” in all.
In Peace and Partnership,
Angela
Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
