Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Bellingham Public Schools | April 2021
Our diverse community provides opportunities to learn and celebrate with each other.
We highlight heritage and identity months in Bellingham Public Schools to recognize contributions of various groups in the United States, many who remain underrepresented in education. We honor and acknowledge diversity allowing us to explore the origins of heritage and identity.
Can you believe the month of April is already upon us? Within the fourth month of the year, we celebrate important cultural events such as Ramadan and the Qingming Festival, as well as national events such as Earth day. Let's learn together about what April brings.
Stress Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month asks us, as humans, to slow down and take an inventory of not only our stressors, but our responses to work, school, social, and personal stress.
- Stress.org suggests meditation, exercise, and a visit to the doctor to observe Stress Awareness Month.
- In a free webinar, RCS will offer strategies for workplace stress management on Apr. 7 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM.
- Stress impacts our scholars, too. Find support for addressing stress and anxiety in elementary and middle/high school students with exercises/practices.
Celebrate Diversity Month
- Shop local minority- and women-owned businesses.
- Go on a virtual museum tour around the world to learn more about other cultures.
- Learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community by watching documentaries and movies.
- Engage in Disability and Inclusion Training.
What will you do to celebrate diversity during this month?
National Autism Acceptance Month
Celebrate inclusion with connection and acceptance during Autism Acceptance Month. With strong support and opportunities, our scholars who navigate the world with autism will see themselves represented in education and employment.
Get involved by (contributed by a district parent):
- Showing your support to the Max Higbee Center.
- Reading up on local authors Kimberly Reeves and her son Ryan.
- Engaging with resources at the Autism Society.
Please check the EDI calendar often for updates on workshops, trainings, and speakers in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month.
Celebrating Easter: April 4
Easter, a Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, also celebrates the defeat of death and the hope of salvation. The season leading up to Easter begins with Ash Wednesday and then Lent, a 40-day period replicating Jesus Christ's sacrifice. The week leading up to Easter is called the Holy Week. At History.com, we can learn more about Easter and an explanation of the origin of the Easter bunny.
Qingming Festival: April 4
World Health Day: April 7
World Health Day focuses attention on key public health issues that affect the entire global community. The World Health Organization (WHO) organized the 2021's learning around the theme building a fairer, healthier world. WHO is "calling on leaders to ensure that everyone has living and working conditions that are conducive to good health. At the same time we urge leaders to monitor health inequities, and to ensure that all people are able to access quality health services when and where they need them." The global pandemic continues to highlight deep inequalities in health systems, hitting already vulnerable communities the hardest.
Ramadan: April 12 - May 11
Followers of Islam celebrate Ramadan, a month commemorating Muhammad receiving the initial revelations of the Quran. During Ramadan, Muslims will fast, meaning they will not eat or drink between dawn and sunset. There are Five Pillars of Islam which create the foundation for Muslim culture. The five pillars are Sawm (fasting), Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity), and the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
National Geographic describes why Ramadan is the most sacred month in Islamic culture.
Fasting can take a toll on students during Ramadan. Learning for Justice helps educators support students during this important time.
Earth Day: April 22
Fact or Fiction:
1) A decline in biodiversity will negatively impact humans, from food security to water quality.
2) Americans dump 16 tons of sewage into their waters every minute.
3) Indigenous people are particularly vulnerable to exploitation into their traditional territory in the form of land grabs and exploitation of natural resources.
4) The world is facing mass extinction of species including animals, insects, amphibians, fish, and many more.
Unfortunately, all the above are facts.
Earth Day reminds us to pause and reflect on the consequences of our actions on our ecosystem. As we honor the land, air, and water, we acknowledge that we are on Indigenous land. Indigenous peoples developed complex systems and were the stewards of this land since time immemorial. Around the planet, Indigenous peoples continue to fight to preserve and save our planet from exploitation.
Get involved in Earth Day 2021
- The Canopy Project: $1 = 1 tree. The Canopy Project partners with groups around the world to ensure that your donation sustainably plants trees for a greener future for everyone.
- Educate oneself on Indigenous peoples rights to land, territories, and resources.
- Educate yourself with A Historical Timeline of Earth Day.
- Identify the original stewards of the land you're on.
Day of Silence April 23
Day of Silence is a campaign that seeks to shed light on what many LGBTQ youth experience daily. Annually, millions honor the day by remaining silent for one day, to represent silenced LGBTQIA+ voices. Since its creation in 1996, the practice has expanded into schools, workplaces, university campuses, and sporting events. Trying to figure out how you can participate? Check out these resources:
- Walking in the Shoes of an LGBTQ student in our district
- Creating a gay-straight alliance in schools
- Plan your day with GLSEN
The Monthly Minute
This month we are introducing The Monthly Minute, a short reflective one minute read, written by members of our community. Let's take a moment to pause and strengthen our connections to each other while the world around us continues to change.
Naomi, EDI intern
We all continue to live through these unpredictable times, fueled largely by the global pandemic as well as the highlighted tensions that divide us. An outcome of this has been a mass increase in AAPI hate. Being the daughter of a Korean immigrant seeing daily headlines about yet another instance of violence takes its toll. However, I am hopeful as we turn into April the headlines will begin to change for the better. Not just for the AAPI communities, but for our societies as a whole.
Isabel Meaker, Executive Director of Family Engagement
Every Wednesday during the month of March, we have been able to get together with a group of fifteen Latinx parents for our first ever Parent Leadership Academy! We, as a district, have learned so much from them - the collective funds of knowledge this group possesses has been inspiring to witness. What a great surprise and gift it has been to be able to create this great connection, even in the midst of the challenges of COVID. The parents learned about the school system, did a deep dive into the Bellingham Promise and are now ready to advocate for their students, as well as to provide support to other families. Their resiliency to embrace a very different education system while dealing with language, culture and technology barriers is inspiring and we look forward to the work this amazing group of leaders will accomplish in the future.
Free Virtual Learning Opportunities
Charting Our Future: Race, Justice & the Educational System
This event-based out of the Tacoma area highlights how education remains a critical pathway to a living wage and lever to social justice. This will be part leadership, part peer-learning conference with many speakers.
Stop Asian Hate
Join San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephens, local elected officials, and AAPI stakeholders for a discussion about how we can combat AAPI Hate together, what constitutes a hate crime charge, and what policy changes and legal protections are needed.
Earth Day 2021: Taking Action
Join sustainability leaders for a one-hour panel discussion and Q & A with young leaders of the intersectional environmental and climate justice movement followed by 30 minutes of action-oriented break-out discussions.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Calendar
Partnering with families, Bellingham Public Schools will develop a space for sharing and celebration. Families are invited to submit suggestions, videos, photos, and descriptions of celebrations and stories to janis.velasquezfarmer@bellinghamschools.org. Check the EDI blog for community responses.
Each month, we will highlight nationally recognized heritage months and other days of identity, celebration, and remembrance with narratives, links to local events, good reads, exhibits and more.
Policies and practices
Depending on the holiday, family traditions and beliefs, some students or staff may miss school or class to observe a holiday. Please refence Policy 3122 and Policy 5409.
- Holidays may have an element of fasting and/or late-night events. We ask staff to make reasonable accommodations to support staff and colleagues.
- We also ask staff and PTAs, including coaches/advisors to try to avoid high holidays for events and exams, whenever possible, in accordance with 2340P.