This is a page in progress. The letter was written in June 2020, I will continue to add information to this page and I feel like the letter will always stand.
Statement of SupportDear daVinci Middle School Families
The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery, Breeona Taylor, and Tony McDade are only the most recent of many, many black lives lost to police violence. I am devastated by these deaths and the underlying racism that perpetuated these murders. To the Black students and families at daVinci: your experiences are valid. You matter. Your families matter. Black Lives Matter. I am sorry it took me a week to get this message out to you. History and the systems in place in this country have let you and your community down over and over again. daVinci is committed to disrupting those systems of racism and violence, and it starts with listening to our daVinci families. I cannot imagine the exhaustion, anger and frustration that you are feeling and I am thinking of you with every action that I am taking - both personally and professionally - to address the inequalities in our school. You are important and I see you. I am with you. I stand with you. I am here for you. If you need anything please reach out to me. To our white and non-black families: Now is a great time to continue to talk with your children about racism and the history of racial discrimination in our country. Research shows that the more we talk with young children about racism, the higher probability we have of disrupting and dismantling that system. Children take meaning from both our words and our silence, when we are silent children learn that talking about racism is too scary, doesn’t exist, or isn’t important enough to talk about. For some of you this email is going to make you uncomfortable, and we need to lean into the discomfort and learn how to be okay with it. It’s through this discomfort that true change can happen - systemically and personally. Throughout the summer I will be updating my webpage with resources that you can use to educate yourself and your children about the history of racism in the United States and ways that you can address it. |
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Resources for talking with your kids about Race
•Awesome article about how to talk with kids about racist violence, by Marissa Yang Bartucci, local school counselor
• The Childrens Community School has a website FULL of ideas, information and support in talking about race
• This is a HUGE document full of many anti-racist ideas and options - including websites, movies & podcasts
• Beginning book list to support your talks with your children
• The Childrens Community School has a website FULL of ideas, information and support in talking about race
• This is a HUGE document full of many anti-racist ideas and options - including websites, movies & podcasts
• Beginning book list to support your talks with your children