SHMS Belonging & Inclusion
Monthly Newsletter
January 2023: Welcome!
We are starting to engage in intentional conversations with students, staff, and families to ensure that our school campus fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion for all in our community, which is aligned with the work of the BVSD Equity & Community Engagement Team and the District Strategic Plan.
This website is a piece of that larger effort. Monthly, we'll utilize this space to share updates on important work happening with our staff, students, and families to create community and environments where all students can thrive. We'll also utilize this space to center student voices on our campus as a way to engage you, our most important partners, in understanding the dynamic experiences and needs of our students. Student voices will be collected in a variety of ways: they will be pulled from the responses of our Student Belonging and Inclusion Survey, our Climate Survey, different student clubs and classes, and also from 1:1 conversations.
This newsletter is also an outcome of the collaborative effort between our administration and our Parent DEI Committee. There is more info below on how you might join this committee. We are grateful to this team for stepping in to support and collaborate to see through the vision of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on our campus and across our BVSD community.
We're excited for the possibility of this website and also in having more two-way communication with families and students. We hope you'll stand side-by-side with us with curiosity, vulnerability, and engagement as we step forward in these ways.
In Partnership,
John White, Principal
Liz Barcheck, Assistant Principal
"I am a male and I am part of the LGBTQ community"
"I'm 50% Irish"
"I identify as homosexual, but i have not told anyone yet. I almost never experience any harassment of any kind."
"I use They/Them pronouns"
"nope"
"I identify as SHE,HERS,HER and I am a christian"
SHMS Student Voice Spotlight:
Share Aspects of Your Culture or Identity That Are Important To You
"I am white and Hispanic, my parents are immigrants."
"I am a sporty person who believes in equality."
"My family makes different types of food dishes from Iran. I'm not from Iran but my dad is. I was born in Canada and I feel special that I'm from Canada."
"I am a female, I am jewish, I am from Colorado"
"I'm republican"
"I don't have any cultural traditions."
"I am comfortable & do think that it is important for sharing k-pop which is a kind of music created by Korean artists or many foreign musicians."
"I'm Native American."
In Case You Missed our January 26, 2023 Presentation:
Student/Parent Belonging and Inclusion:
Parent Screencast- SHMS Belonging and Inclusion Jan23.mp4Student Belonging and Inclusion Survey Results:
Student Belonging and Inclusion Survey Results '23 - Google Slides.webmCommunity Call To Action: Report the Use of the N Word and other Race-Based Slurs
Part of our intention of sharing this information about student conduct, harassment, bullying, and discrimination, is to encourage families to engage in conversations at home with your kids about their experiences on our campus.
We implore all SHMS families and students to learn about the N word and other race-based slurs, learn the history and the impact/harm these words can cause. We ask that students report if they hear these words on our campus.
To report hearing this word or the use of the N-word pass or other slur passes: individuals should email an administrator, tell any SHMS staff member, or submit a report using any of the forms on the student support page of our daily work site.
We ask that all of our staff, families, and students are being diligent to not accept or stay silent if they hear the use of this word or the use of the N-word pass, and other race-based slurs, in our community.
Announcements
Happy Lunar New Year!
We want to extend our best wishes to those in our community celebrating this season of renewal, which began on January 23rd.
February is Black History Month!
We will spotlight important figures and events related to Black History, Present, and Future throughout the month on our daily PA announcements to students. Is there an important figure or event you feel we should include? Tell us here.
February 10th: Student Learning Sessions During All Transitions Classes with BVSD Community Partner, OASOS
Based on our Student Belonging and Inclusion Survey results, we will host a number of student learning sessions throughout the semester on topics that students identified as wanting more learning about. Our first session is scheduled for February 10th with OASOS.
This will be provided to all SHMS students during their Transitions class on February 10th. Please reach out to Liz Barcheck with questions.
More information about OASOS (Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Supports) is an LGBTQ+ youth serving organization that was founded in 1992. Some of the work that OASOS does is provide LGBTQ+ youth support groups and advocacy groups, professional development for GSA advisors, training for community organizations for LGBTQ+ affirming practices, liaising for LGBTQ+ Youth, and providing confidential one on one's with youth, parents, educators, or community members.
OASOS Mission Statement: OASOS is committed to collaborating with youth to prevent bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence in order to build safer, healthier, more affirming schools and communities for our youth. OASOS works to co-develop an environment where LGBTQ+ youth can flourish and thrive by redistributing power through:
Community engagement
Facilitating pro-social support groups
One-on-one resource navigation
School-based programming
Advocacy
Training
Health education
Leadership development
Diversity and Inclusion Club Field Trip
MLK JR March for Peace w/Lafayette City Council:
Some of our students attended the 18th Annual MLK Jr. March for Peace, organized annually by the City of Lafayette and LYAC (the Lafayette Youth Advisory Committee). This event is almost entirely youth-organized. We listened to high school students and members of LYAC, we also listened to speeches from the Mayor of Lafayette and Coungressman Joe Neguse. The Hazel Miller Band was also there. We we hope we see more of our families in attendance at this event next year!
Student Diversity and Inclusion Club meets on Fridays from 3:25-4pm in the library.
Rainbow Club meets on Tuesdays from 3:25-4pm in Ms. Cherry's room.
SHMS Staff Equity Highlights:
Staff have been engaging in an extended learning series called "Courageous Conversations about Race." These sessions were created by the BVSD Equity team as a way to discuss and deepen our understanding of how race impacts our perspectives and experiences as BVSD educators. Southern Hills teachers have engaged in monthly hour-long professional development sessions to complete this extensive training.
In January, a few members of our Teacher Equity Team attended the BVSD Showing of This Is [Not] Who We Are: "The documentary film, This Is [Not] Who We Are, explores the gap between Boulder's self-image and the more complex lived experiences—both historical and contemporary—of its Black citizens. Black people have lived in Boulder continuously for nearly 150 years, but their history is not well known." We recommend this documentary for all parents/guardians in our community!
Soon, our Teacher Equity Team will lead a microaggression training with our staff.
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.