EDC Digest ~June 2021
Newsletter of the Equity and Diversity Council
About the Equity and Diversity Council (EDC)
WATCH: Tuesday, June 1st at 7:00 PM. Second reading and adoption of a revised proposed Educational Equity Policy will take place during the Board Meeting. Accessible online and via local access channels on a laptop, computer, television or mobile device at https://www.whctv.org/programming/video-on-demand/board-ed-met with closed captioning.
Email: roszena_haskins@whps.org
Website: www.whps.org/edc
Location: 50 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT, USA
Phone: 860-561-6906
~~~June is Pride Month~~~~ Celebrate Diversity and Unity
June is Pride Month. It is a time meant to celebrate unity within diversity. June is also a time to recognize the sweeping impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals, advocates and allies have on history in the U.S. and around the globe. Pride Month events draw millions of participants together from around the world each year. Month-long celebrations and recognition events in many communities commonly include parades, marches, rallies and performances. In schools, recognition activities may include read-ins, read-alouds, high school student panel discussions, adult workshops and classroom advisory lessons that honor diversity of individuals, foster inclusion and promote respect for all identities.
The American Defamation League reminds us that while June is a good time for communities to talk about equal rights and treatment of people in all aspects of life, it is important not to isolate cultures and identities into one month during the year. Promoting appreciation of the differences that make each of us who we are, and that together make us a community, is something that we can do all year long.
Learn More
Learn more about Pride Month, the Progress Flag and how educators and families can create environments so that all children can feel valued, seen and heard.
READ: June Pride Month Education Spring 2021.
EXPLORE: Family Resources~ Safe Communities (PFLAG)
West Hartford Pride
The Pride Flag serves as one symbol of the community’s diversity, and as a way to promote greater appreciation and acceptance of our differences.
LGBTQ Awareness and Mental Health Resources
"Give children permission to feel how they feel"- Dr. Ishrat Quadria local pediatric specialist who shares how she engages adolescents about gender and sexual identity.
READ: QTBIPOC Mental Health & Well-Being Resources (Human Rights Campaign)
Community Crisis and Mental Health Resources: click here. (Courtesy Community of Concern)
Juneteenth~ Learn and Celebrate
JUNETEENTH WHPS AND WEST HARTFORD EVENTS
- Monday, June 10th, Juneteenth Jamboree Author /Illustrator Visit -Carol Weatherford & Jeffrey "The Poet" (Son) Author Carole Boston Weatherford & her son, illustrator Jeffery Boston Weatherford, will provide two 45-60 min virtual live presentations of Ms. Weatherford’s book, Juneteenth Jamboree, to WHPS Grade 5 students. Carole Weatherford will read her book, JUNETEENTH JAMBOREE, and talk about their ancestors. Jeffery will share some interactive spoken word. They will show students a corn husk doll, ask for name suggestions for the doll, and share a resource sheet so students can make their own corn husk doll. They have provided printed instructions on how to make a doll at home. A copy of the book will be provided to each Grade 5 classroom prior to the presentation date. Book Description: “Joining her parents in a community celebration of Juneteenth, Cassie learns about the day when slaves in Texas were freed some two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and wonders why the news took so long to reach them.” (Source: Amazon)
- Saturday, June 19 & Sunday, June 20-West Hartford Juneteenth Celebration- "A large Juneteenth celebration in West Hartford is planned for the weekend of June 19th-20th, including an art exhibit featuring people of color, which will will be opening on June 5. In 2020, a proclamation was made acknowledging Juneteenth and the celebration. In early 2021, the West Hartford Town Council made Juneteenth an official holiday in the town. The events on June 19 begin at 12 noon at Town Hall will include a community picnic and an African libation ceremony, along with drummers and dancers, including Friends World Music and Alvin Carter, Jr. West Hartford Board of Education vice-chair Dr. Lorna Thomas Farquarson and daughter Julianna will give an inter-generational keynote speech. Several other local artists will be performing. At 2:30 p.m., an unveiling of a Martin Luther King-inspired mural will take place at Blue Back Square, which will include local leadership, West Hartford people of color who have made history, including Bristow, a West Harford slave owned by Thomas Hooker who bought his own freedom, and Gertrude Blanks, a storyteller who grew up in Hartford and has documented her experiences with racism" (Source: Hartford Courant, May 28, 2021).
LGBT+ Alliance EOY Social
June 11th @ 4:30 PM- Outdoor/Open Air
Wooden Tap 3375 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111
RSVP to Cathy_Davis@whps.org by Friday, June 4th.
EDC & One Community EOY Celebrations (Postponed)
POSTPONED
The Annual EDC End of Year Reflection and Celebration has been postponed due to the WHEA End of Year Party GastroPark (in person) on Thursday, June 3rd 2:30-6:30.
The One Community Celebration scheduled for Thursday, June 3rd has been postponed.
Both events will be reimagined as a Back-to-School Fall Forward gathering. Stay tuned for later details...
Literacy/Reading
Math
Summer Math K-6 - Coming Soon…
Writing
QUEST- WHPS Gifted and Talented Program
WHPS Summer High School and Financial Aid
- Rental Assistance Program for families impacted by the pandemic. Information is available here: https://portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT. Under the program the State will provide financial assistance to pay down rental arrears and help with future rent for families who have lost income as a result of the pandemic. If anyone has questions about the program the CT Fair Housing Office has some experience with it would be happy to provide assistance. Families can visit http://www.ctfairhousing.org or call Greg Kirschner directly at (860) 263-0724.
SEL Strategies & Resources
Culturally Responsive Strategies & Resources
Summer Learning
Please share summer opportunities with Roszena_Haskins@whps.org
Office of Equity Advancement
Email: roszena_haskins@whps.org
Website: whps.org/edc
Location: 50 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT, USA
Phone: 860-561-6906