SMS Family
Antiracism
Circle
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The SMS Family Antiracism Circle will begin as a book group for middle school students and their caregivers. At our first meeting, I will meet with families to introduce books around the topics of race, racism, and antiracism. Each of the books is written for middle school students or younger. There are both fiction nonfiction titles and a variety of formats are included, such as a graphic novels and a story told in verse.
Families will choose books to read and we will set up a meeting schedule to read and discuss any of your book choices over the winter months. We will discuss the issues raised, questions that come to mind as a result of the reading, and how the topics relate to Stonington Middle School and our community. You can read as many of the titles as you wish, or just focus on one book during the course of our meetings.
Although we will begin by reading, the goal of the group is to use the knowledge we gain to create an action plan. As our meetings progress, I will lead the group in brainstorming and researching ways that we can address an issue of equity and justice in our school or community. Several of the books have specific suggestions for action items. We will use these ideas and our own to develop a plan that we will implement in the spring.
Note: Our meetings will be virtual unless conditions allow us to begin meeting in person.
Thank you,
Tim Flanagan
FAQs
When are the meetings?
We held our first meeting on January 27. We will meet approximately every three week from January - April. We will schedule additional meetings depending on our action plan.
The group will also decide on the best time to hold the meetings. I expect all meetings to be no more than one hour.
Will the meetings be held online or in person?
We will most likely meet online via Google Meet. I will try to set up in-person meetings when it is possible, but there will always be an option to join online.
What will we read?
Check out the Read tab at the top of the page to see a list of books that are available.
What is the action project?
In the spring, the group will take what we have learned and decide on one or more actions we can take to address an issue of equity and justice in our school or community. Actions can be as simple as writing letters to lawmakers or starting a social media campaign about an issue, or they can be more involved such as delivering a presentation to a board about racist policies. There are many possibilities and the group will decide what actions to take.
How much do I have to read?
As much as you want! It is not required to even complete a book. Even if you read a chapter or section of a book, you will be able to contribute to our discussions and action planning.
What if I can't attend all of the meetings?
That's fine! Make an effort to attend as many as you can, but it is completely understandable that you might miss one or more meetings.
Should students attend the meetings?
Yes, please encourage your student to attend our meetings. We will use breakout rooms for small-group discussions and hope to hear student voices.
Can other siblings join the group?
Most of the readings and discussion topics will be geared towards middle school students. That being said, the reading levels of the text vary from picture books/elementary to high school. If you think and older or younger sibling would be able to participate, then they are welcome to join us.
Where did this idea come from and how is this project funded?
Thank you to the Stonington Education Fund and the Leslie Buck Memorial Fund for supporting this project. Grants provided by these organizations made it possible to purchase books for the project.
Thank you also to Fund for Teachers. This project came about as a result of my participation in the Fund for Teachers Equity and Justice Circle. This small cohort of teachers from across the country participated in a three-day Teaching for Equity and Justice webinar presented by Facing History and Ourselves, an organization dedicated to fighting bigotry and hate with lessons from history. We then met monthly with facilitators to reflect on our learning and plan antiracist teaching practices for our schools. You can read more about the project on the Fund for Teachers Blog.
Sign-Up Form
Only one form needed per family.
Thank you!
Thank you to the Stonington Education Fund and the Leslie Buck Memorial Fund for supporting this project.
Thank you also to Fund for Teachers. This project came about as a result of my participation in the Fund for Teachers Equity and Justice Circle. This small cohort of teachers from across the country participated in a three-day Teaching for Equity and Justice webinar presented by Facing History and Ourselves, an organization dedicated to fighting bigotry and hate with lessons from history. We then met monthly with facilitators to reflect on our learning and plan antiracist teaching practices for our schools. You can read more about the project on the Fund for Teachers Blog.