SHMS Belonging & Inclusion
Newsletter
June 2023
Southern Hills Families,
It's been a busy few weeks at Southern Hills with end-of-year celebrations, field trips, and our 8th grade continuation. We hope this final newsletter of the spring semester updates you on our most recent efforts to establish and extend a sense of community, belonging, and inclusion.
We hope you have a safe and fulfilling summer with your own family and friends. We're excited for a little bit of down-time this summer, and we'll be ready to continue these efforts in the fall.
In Partnership,
John White - Principal
Liz Barcheck - Assistant Principal
June is PRIDE Month!
This #PrideMonth and year-round, we celebrate and support our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and educators. We recognize the history, achievements, and visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. We wish everyone a safe and happy Pride month.
Everybody Party! Party
Established earlier this year, the Parent DEI Committee focused on organizing a community-building opportunity to create connection, understanding and greater unity. Additionally, this evening event engaged leadership and voice form the various student groups, parent and school staff groups focused on DEI (Parent DEI Committee, Student Diversity Club, Rainbow Club, and Sources of Strength).
Everybody Party! Party aimed to create a space of understanding and connection for our entire Southern Hills community while also ensuring the physical school environment fosters and reflects a culture of inclusion.
Enormous Thanks to the BVSD DEI Committee and the YWCA of Boulder County for funding this event.
We hope you were able to attend this event last week, and we also hope that this is the first of many events of its kind.
WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!
Take a look at the photo gallery below:
Samba Dancing w/Escola De Samba
Latin Rythms w/Musician and SHMS parent, Miguel Camacho
Ninja Challenge with Wolchek Academy of Martial Arts
Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu
Lion Dance- SHaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu
Break Dancing Lessons w/School of Breaking
Out Boulder and Rainbow Club
Jimmy Lu and Tony Zhang (SHMS Alumni/ Current FHS students)
SHMS Students enjoying the Potluck Sampling
Fairview HS Performers
Collaborative Art Projects
Indigenous Tribal Dances- The Raven Dancers
"I might talk to more people or get to know the students here better."
"I would make us all just human instead of boys and girls because it separates friends"
"I would be able to find friends that like me for me. I have friends who do this, but I would want others that have a bit more things in common with me."
"I would change that there would be no negativity going around the schools like rumors or other negative things that are being said behind someone's back."
"The lockers. the lockers are all split up and the grades do not really interact with each other so I think if the lockers were jumbled up the grades will be more social with each other."
SHMS Student Voice Spotlight:
"Imagine you could wave a magic wand to strengthen your sense of feeling welcomed, included, and/or sense of belonging in our school. What would you change and why?"
"No discrimination. Not just for me, but for everyone."
"I would change how there are popular people who can be really mean and not include you."
"I wish all of my grades could be A+"
"I would make every person in the school feel included."
"Don't get judged for wearing what you want."
"I would change lunch and make it longer and bring back mask breaks, or just a break from classes."
"Apart from being accepted by Harry Potter and learning magic, I would probably make group projects a little bit more individual. So that the more studious person does not do all the work."
"None I already feel welcome."
"I would use it to make sure I feel secure that my friends believe I am also a friend"
"I would have everyone except each other for who they are."
"I would chose who I had classes with and get rid of stereotypes about my culture."
"I would make myself care less about what others think of me so I can be more of myself."
"I wouldn't change anything because yes and this place = good"
Announcements
Recent SEL Lessons with 7th graders
Our 7th graders engaged in two lessons with The Healthy Mind, Body and Voice project in April and early May. The Healthy Mind, Body and Voice project is a collaboration project among interdisciplinary researchers in clinical psychology, social psychology, and education, Boulder Valley School District partners, and high school and college youth.
The program incorporates discussion, reflection, collaboration, and practice to learn skills to support individual wellness and to take action to create a world that values people for who they are, not their appearance.
During this two-part learning series, Healthy Mind, Body, Voice Guest Speakers will introduce students to some key program ideas and activities, adapted to be suitable for 7th-8th graders of all genders.
The first class session introduced the concept of Appearance Biases (messages that imply our worth more about how we look rather than who we are) and discussed their implications, costs & consequences. 7th graders were invited to do a “letter to a younger person” writing activity to generate ideas that discourage the pursuit of unhealthy appearance biases.
The second session introduced a short grounding practice (somatic meditation) to practice connecting & listening to the body. Then students engaged in an activity that involved recognizing and appreciating variety in nature, and then connected that appreciation & non-judgement back to the variety in people and our own bodies.
Join Our Parent DEI Committee:
There are several opportunities for busy parents to help create a more welcoming community for all students, staff and families. If you are interested in learning more about how you can engage with this meaningful work either by staying informed or helping to guide goals and direction, please check out all the possibilities. Sign up here.