Building Belonging Week: September 15-19, 2025
Embedded Files
Building Belonging Week:
At North, South and West School
The 4th annual Building Belonging Week took place from September 15th to 19th. This district-wide initiative, hosted by HCSD and the Belong Committee, is designed to deepen our students' sense of belonging, celebrate the rich diversity within our district, and empower them to become inclusive community members. Throughout the week, students, staff, and families will engage in a variety of activities and discussions centered around these important themes:
Classroom: Lessons, discussions, and activities will focus on belonging, the value of diversity and inclusion, and the importance of being an upstander.
Library: A carefully curated collection of books exploring these themes will be available for students to enjoy.
Physical Education: P.E. Lessons will emphasize cooperative skills, teamwork, and inclusion of students of all abilities.
At Home: We encourage families to continue these conversations at home using the conversation starters provided through the Belong Committee’s Instagram (@HCSDBelongCommittee).
Special Events:
The culmination of the week is the Building Belonging Week Parade where we gather as a school community and walk to school TOGETHER on September 19th.
On Sept 15 2025, HCSD kicked off Building Belonging Week with “We All Belong Day.”. Decades of research shows that students’ sense of belonging can have a profound impact on their wellbeing, identity development, and academic achievement.
Conversation starters with your children:
Do you think it’s important for people to feel like they belong? Why?
Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? How did that feel?
Describe a time when you felt like you belonged.
How can weyou help make others feel like they belong?
Book List From HCSD Librarians:
This is a School by John Schu
All are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Lathan & Charles Waters
Frybread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Maillard
It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear
On Sept 16 2025, students explored embracing differences – both the things that may make them different from their peers, and things that may make others different from them. Enjoy the short video “Nobody is Normal” with your student about how feeling different is a universal feeling, and how embracing your “different” is the key to authentic connection and belonging.
Conversation starters with your family:
What makes you different & unique?
What can we learn from our differences?
Think about your friends, classmates, and family. What are some ways you are similar? What are some differences?
When was a time you felt you needed to change something about yourself to fit in? How did that feel?
Have you ever noticed a time when someone else needed some help fitting in? What could you do to make them feel included?
Book List From HCSD Librarians:
You’re So Amazing by James Catchpole
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker
Monster Hands by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan
A Walk in the Words (dyslexia) by Hudson Talbott
A Boy and a Jaguar (stuttering) by Alan Rabinowitz
They All Saw a Cat (visual perception differences among animals) by Brendan Wenzel
Am I Even a Bee? (bee faces an identity crisis because she does not look like other bees) by Felicity Muth
Henry, Like Always (autism) by Jenn Bailey
How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine (autism) by Amy Guglielmo
Julian Is a Mermaid (LGBTQ+) by Jessica Love
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress (LGBTQ+) by Christine Baldacchino
What Happened to You? (boy missing a leg) by James Catchpole
I Color Myself Different (Black Experience) by Colin Kaepernick
Out Into the Big Wide Lake (Down Syndrome) by Paul Harbridge
Ursula Upside Down (a catfish embraces her different way of swimming) by Corey Tabor
On Sept 17 2025, students explored how to find common ground. They may talk about some things they can share like values, experiences, and responsibility. Use the questions below to guide a conversation with your family.
Shared Values
What do you think is really important to be a good friend?
Why do you think it's important to treat everyone with respect—even if they're different from you?
What rules or habits do you think everyone should follow to make school a happy place?
What is empathy? How can we show empathy to others at school or at home?
Shared Experiences
When was a time you felt nervous or left out? What helped you to feel better?
Can you think of a time you needed support? What or who helped you?
What was an experience you had that brought you closer to other people?,
Shared Responsibility
What can we all do to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome?
If you see someone making a mess or being unfair, what could you do to help?
When is the next time you could invite someone new or different to join your game, group, or circle of friends?
Book List From HCSD Librarians:
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Say My Name by Joanna Ho
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang
Playing at the Borders: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho
We Are One by Param Patel and Pinky Mukhi
Being an Upstander
Core Idea: Standing up for others creates inclusion, safety, and belonging.
Message: Everyone has the power to shift from bystander to upstander.
Conversation starter:
What could you do if you saw someone being left out during recess?"
When have you stood up for someone? How did it feel?
What does it mean to be an upstander??
If a friend says something mean about someone else, what could you say or do?
Who do you admire for standing up for others and why?
How can we make sure everyone feels safe and welcome at school?
Book List From HCSD Librarians:
Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Just Help! How to Build a Better World by Sonia Sotomayor
What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Power of One by Trudy Ludwig
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Crocker's Building Belonging Week
Crocker's Building Belonging Week
To kick off Crocker's Building Belonging Week, Crocker students hosted a special carnival for HCSD families on Friday, October 17, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. It was a fun-filled afternoon with games, activities, and prizes, all created by Crocker students! Huge thanks to Crocker Vikings for planning and running this event.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse