[TNS-list] Responding to Recent Events

[Dyanthe Spielberg]

Dear Families,

I am reaching out to you in light of the recent protests around the murders
of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. I do so knowing that we
are all experiencing a deep range of emotions during this time. I also do
so knowing that the ways in which we are impacted by recent events are
closely connected to our own racial identities. My Black colleagues express
that they are tired and angry. It is now up to the rest of us to dig deep
and figure out how we all can be allies in this fight.

In thinking about the next steps for our school community, we are
committing to doing better for all our children. This means developing
anti-racist, anti-bias curriculum that lives in all our classrooms all year
long. This also means that we as adults must talk about racism; the work is
ongoing and never-ending, and we must rededicate ourselves to it as a
school. Please join me in taking action in ways that lead to the kind of
community and world we hope to build.

Parents also need to be talking about race and racism with their children.
Children are not too young to have these conversations. Research shows that
by 4 or 5 years old, children begin to show racial prejudice and bias.
Don’t let uncertainty get in the way of these conversations. You are your
child’s most important teacher.  Here is a link to a collection of
(growing) resources that our staff put together, which can support you in
talking with your child about race and racism:

https://wke.lt/w/s/970iGM

If you have additional resources, please share them with the community.

With Much Love,

Dyanthe

-- 

tnsny.org
DSpielberg at schools.nyc.gov
Preferred pronouns: *she, her, hers*
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