Embedded Files
The principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity are woven into everything we do. Here are some examples of work related to DEI initiatives occurring in our schools.
Studying Representation in Literature
Studying Representation in Literature
Students in Mr. Maignan's class learned about representation in literature from SMS Librarian Shana Frazin as part of #HispanicHeritageMonth activities. At the beginning of class, students also took a brief survey on their knowledge of Hispanic/Latinx heritage.
Learning about Local History
Learning about Local History
Students at Edgewood School are learning about the Lenape Tribe, upon whose ancestral territories Edgewood is built. As they learn more about the tribe and its customs, they will add information to their bulletin board.
Scarsdale Teachers Institute Courses
Teaching Racial Justice: Onward and Upward
Inspired by February's discussion with Ray Hinton, and in keeping with the district-wide focus on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, this course will focus on integrating social justice initiatives into teaching through the study and discussion of films, podcasts, webinars, and virtual tours -- coupled with on-site learning for those who want to join. With the rise of the Black (and Brown) Lives Matter movement and recent hate crimes victimizing our Asian American and Jewish citizens, the quest for social justice in the United States has taken on a new urgency and fervor. The "Onward and Upward" studies will illuminate and inspire us, while providing valuable educational tools to integrate into our curricula. Teachers can register for 1-3 credits (12-36 hours), some of which will be offered online, or in-person, field studies to sites such as the African Burial Ground, the Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, or the New York Historical Society.
Do classic texts perpetuate long-refuted and harmful ideas? Can a racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise problematic text still be considered a "Great Book?" To what extent does the inclusion of a text imply endorsement by the teacher? Should students have the right to refuse to engage with texts they find offensive? How should teachers address student resistance? These questions and more will be examined in this workshop.
The three texts teachers will examine in this workshop are Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's 2015 middle-school novel All-American Boys. Participants will pose difficult questions, struggle with challenging answers, and discuss pedagogical strategies and resources.
The Reconstruction era, most commonly viewed as the period from 1865 to 1877, was a monumental struggle for freedom and democracy in the face of violent backlash. The study of the Reconstruction era in American history is essential to an understanding of citizenship and democracy in the United States today. During this online seminar, teachers will examine how Americans were faced with the challenge of restoring a nation amid the social and political upheaval of the Civil War. Teachers will learn to teach about the Reconstruction era using an approach that helps students connect this history to their own lives and the choices they make today.
Taking place over four days, this seminar offers a real-time, interactive online classroom where participants will connect in facilitated whole- and small-group sessions. The seminar will include an interactive virtual tour of the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and a keynote presentation from Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries.
What does it mean to be an American? How have ideas about difference and race shaped US immigration policy and what are the implications and legacies of these ideas/policies today? How have immigrants and their allies acted as upstanders for a more just society? These core questions have been at the heart of the debates around immigration throughout US history. In this online interactive summit, educators will explore the history of how the United States has determined who may enter, who may be considered American, and how those decisions and definitions impacted the course of American democracy.
In this summit, educators will explore these questions as they consider the history and contemporary realities of immigration in the United States. We will consider how the choices and actions of immigrants have shaped ideas about freedom and democracy and influenced what it means to be American. This summit will include live keynote presentations by historian and co-founder of #ImmigrationSyllabus, Dr. Erika Lee, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer, Jose Antonio Vargas.
Taking place over three days, this summit offers a real-time, interactive online classroom where educators will connect in facilitated whole- and small-group sessions.
Metacognitive Language Strategies for Struggling Students
Strategies that target students’ metacognition—the ability to think about thinking—can close a gap that some students experience between how prepared they feel for a test and how prepared they actually are. In a new study, students in an introductory college statistics class who took a short online survey before each exam asking them to think about how they would prepare for it earned higher grades in the course than their peers—a third of a letter grade higher, on average. This low-cost intervention helped students gain insight into their study strategies, boosting their metacognitive skills and giving them tools to be more independent learners.
How does society rebuild after extraordinary division and trauma, when the ideals and values of democracy are most vulnerable? Join Facing History & Ourselves and Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University and scholar of African American history and contemporary Black politics to examine the way the Reconstruction Era is remembered and the impact of its various legacies in contemporary society.
The "Paper Menagerie," a magic realist story about a biracial American boy and his Chinese American mother, is the first piece of fiction to simultaneously win three of the world's top speculative fiction literary awards (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy). In this talk, author Ken Liu will discuss various reader reactions to the story and how our self-narrative remains the most important battleground in our ongoing examination of structural racism in America.
Classroom Libraries: Easy Lessons in Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors
What does it mean to be an American? How have ideas about difference and race shaped US immigration policy and what are the implications and legacies of these ideas/policies today? How have immigrants and their allies acted as upstanders for a more just society? These core questions have been at the heart of the debates around immigration throughout US history. In this online interactive summit, educators will explore the history of how the United States has determined who may enter, who may be considered American, and how those decisions and definitions impacted the course of American democracy.
In this summit, educators will explore these questions as they consider the history and contemporary realities of immigration in the United States. We will consider how the choices and actions of immigrants have shaped ideas about freedom and democracy and influenced what it means to be American. This summit will include live keynote presentations by historian and co-founder of #ImmigrationSyllabus, Dr. Erika Lee, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer, Jose Antonio Vargas.
SHS Students Learn of Day of The Dead
In Spanish culture, el Día de los Muertos (Nov. 1 & 2) is a holiday that celebrates the lives of family members and loved ones we have lost. Not only does it help with closure and healing after a loss, it also helps preserve and remember the good things about the person, especially the lessons we have learned from them. SHS Spanish faculty set up altars to commemorate people and causes, to which students contributed. Sra. Almanzar's theme was, "Recordando las Experiencias Perdidas y Celebrando las Lecciones Aprendidas," or, "Remembering the Experiences Lost and Celebrating the Lessons Learned" Students wrote about their lost experiences and lessons learned on tombstones. Some experiences that students wrote about in Spanish included not being able to visit family and friends, especially during the holidays and not being able to do certain activities like traveling. Several students mentioned the loss of "normal school," and the struggles of having to learn remotely. These losses, however, taught them valuable lessons including the importance of family, a new-found appreciation for getting up and going to school, and just being able to do everyday activities.
Sra. Bray's theme was Commemorating Those Lost During Pandemic, Sr. Weldon's theme was Those Lost in the Pandemic in Mexico, and Sra. Moscos Bueno's theme was Commemorating Family Pets. Students added their own contributions and dicussed them in class.
Identity in Family Trees
Students in Ms. Mazzillo's class at Edgewood learned about how identity is influenced and formed by reading The Family Book by Todd Parr. The book celebrates the love we feel for our families, and all the different varieties families come in. The book assures children that no matter what kind of family they have, every family is special in its own unique way.
After reading the book, students celebrated their own unique identities by crafting family trees.
Different Abilities and Different Languages
Students in Ms. Peters' French 8 classes at Scarsdale Middle School watched portions of the French film, "La Famille Belier", which inspired the wildly popular 2021 film, CODA, starring Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin.
La Famille Belier tells the story of Paula, a teen who is the only hearing member of her family, and her struggles to help her family run the family farm, sell at the farmer's market and keep up with her schoolwork at the same time. When her beautiful voice catches the ear of her chorus teacher, Paula has to make the tough decision whether to pursue her love of singing, or support the family who relies on her.
In Ms. Peters' class, students used the film as a vehicle to understand how differing abilities and ableism impact day-to-day life of individuals and their families. They also learned about the origins of American Sign Language or ASL, which relies heavily on the French Sign Language. American minister Thomas Hopkins Galluadet was in London seeking ideas on how to teach deaf people when he was invited to visit Paris and study at the Royal Institution for the Deaf. There, he met Laurent Clerc, an FSL instructor. The two struck up a friendship, and Clerc agreed to return to America with Galluadet, where together they opened Galluadet University. Students were surprised to learn that American Sign Language is more similar to French Sign Language than BSL or British Sign Language.
A Visit With West African Griot Famoro Dioubate
Students in Mr. Widelec and Ms. McGreal's classes at Scarsdale High School read 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘢, an ancient tale from Mali told by a Griot, or storyteller. Students shared a visit with Famoro Dioubate, a West African griot who now lives in New York, and who is a direct descendant of the Griot in The Epic of Sundiata. Dioubate shared stories of his world travels, how he built is belafone and more. Dioubate and students conversed in both English and his native French.
Researching, Learning and Understanding Identities
Third grade students in Ms. Cohn's class at Quaker Ridge School created personal history boxes, learning about their own unique identities and those of their classmates. Students learned about research, artifacts, and their personal family histories, and by the end of the lesson were answering each others' questions about their classmates.
A Rich Study of Black History Month
Students at Greenacres School learned about Black History in a variety of ways throughout the month of February. Their work was celebrated in assemblies for grades K-2 and 3-5, which featured the unveiling of mural comprised of art from every student in the school, inspired by the artist Alma Thomas.
Page updated
Report abuse