Dear Families,
Thank you to all of our kindergarten families who have taken the time to talk with Garfield staff about their plans for when we transition to hybrid learning. If you are a kindergarten parent and have not yet heard from a staff member at Garfield, we will be contacting all kindergarten families within the next week. To all of our other families, we are closely monitoring the COVID metrics. When the district deems that it is safe to return to in person learning, we will be communicating with you about transitioning to hybrid learning.
Beginning this year, each classroom is engaging students in lessons about racial equity. These lessons are based on the Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards. The Social Justice Standards are a set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains—identity, diversity, justice and action and provide a common language to make schools more just, equitable and safe.
This year teachers have taught lessons on Identity and will soon be engaging with students around the topic of Diversity. The goal of the lessons is for students to practice and apply the concepts in the lessons and be able to speak openly while listening and being respectful of each other.
The big idea of the upcoming Diversity lessons at the elementary level is for students to express comfort with people who are both similar to and different from them and engage respectfully with all people.
- At the K-2 level, this looks like, “I like being around people who are like me and different from me, and I can be friendly to everyone.”
- At the 3-5 level, this looks like, “I like knowing people who are like me and different from me, and I treat each person with respect.”
Sincerely,
Principal Santy
