Embedded Files
Dear Families,
We’ve begun having age-appropriate conversations about skin color, race, and racism as part of our ongoing work to build an inclusive and caring classroom community. Students are learning that while we all have different shades of skin, our skin serves the same important purpose. Through stories and discussion, we’re emphasizing that our differences make us unique, and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and kindly.
This is a long list with a lot of vocabulary to review! Feel free to take your time over the next couple of weeks to explore these questions and continue these important conversations at home.
Please ask your child:
Please ask your child:
To tell you what we celebrated this week (Solidarity Week).
What does solidarity mean? (Sticking together and helping each other, especially during tough times.)
What does it mean to be an upstander, and why/how should we stand up for others? (Someone who stands up for others.)
What is a bystander? (Someone who watches, but doesn’t help.)
Why might someone choose to just stand by? (They might feel scared or unsure.)
What is an ally, and how can they support others? (A friend who stands up, helps, and supports others.)
Why is it important to support our friends, and how can we show kindness and stand up for others in our classroom and community?
How do we get our skin color? (From our parents and ancestors, the sun, and something called melanin.)
Why is it important to treat everyone fairly, regardless of their skin color? (Because everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.)
What is race? (Race was made up a long time ago to describe differences in how people look, but it doesn’t determine who we are or how we should be treated.)
Does race decide who we are? (No — our actions and hearts do.)
What does “anti” mean? (Against.)
What does racism mean? (When someone is treated unfairly or unkindly because of the color of their skin.)
What does it mean to be anti-racist? (Noticing unfairness and choosing kindness and fairness instead.)
Challenge your child to a “Rhyme Family Rhyme-Off!” (Take turns coming up with rhyming words from word families like -at, -ad, -ag, -ap, and -an. See who can think of the most!)
Why do words rhyme? (When the middle and ending sounds are the same.)
To pull out (isolate) the rhyming part (like -at in bat and cat).
What makes some families different and special?
What makes your family special?
What makes a family? (Love makes a family!)
To show you different ways to make numbers 5 through 9. (For example: 1 & 4, 2, 2, & 1, or 5 & 4. They can use a 10-frame for help.)
To play Go Fish to sums of 9.
What are the sounds and motions for the letters e and r?
Can they tell you five words that start with e and r? (Challenge: Name five words that end with r.)
Show you how to write the lowercase letters e and r.
To tell you their rose, bud, and thorn for this week.
Enjoy the week!
Kim and Marie
Page updated
Report abuse