Dear Friends,
We are pleased to introduce ourselves to you as members of the Joseph Sears School Diversity, Equity, and Belonging committee (DEB). We have come together with the primary goal of building and nurturing a culture at the Joseph Sears School where inclusiveness is a reflex, not an initiative.
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In February 2019, members of the JSSPVA met with the Joseph Sears School Administration to encourage richer dialogues and augmented programming around diversity, equity, and belonging in our school community. In response to this request, the JSSPVA and the administration co-created the DEB committee in August 2019 with monthly meetings beginning in November 2019. The committee is made up of parents, faculty, administration, socio-emotional learning team leads, and a school board member representative. This unique collaboration amongst school and community stakeholders allows for diverse perspectives on the committee and in the school house. |
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To be an engaged learner, a child must feel safe, included and valued. Research reveals that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create stronger and more creative environments that deliver growth, innovation and results. We want to foster an equitable and inclusive school environment where children, faculty, staff and parents, feel safe and empowered to share their unique experiences and ideas. We strive to create an environment where a collective sense of pride, passion and belonging transcends differences and fosters a community unified in its commitment to excellence, innovation and social responsibility. Promoting empathy and equity in order to embrace a rich tapestry of social identities is vital to a successful learning environment—not only for those who are marginalized, but for everyone. We will apply the following Guiding Principles to the work we do: |
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DEB COMMITTEE GUIDING PRINCIPLES |
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We believe a commitment to diversity, equity and belonging is essential to creating an environment where each member of the Joseph Sears School community feels safe, welcome, and valued.
We commit to creating a space for ongoing and open conversations where different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds are embraced.
With the Four Cornerstones as our guide, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty and Respect, we seek to refine and innovate curricula, policies, and practices to foster a welcoming culture within our school house.
We seek to promote and celebrate our multiple identities and endeavor to overcome our biases.
We believe a diverse, inclusive, and equitable school community will empower our community to bring about positive change in an increasingly diverse and global world.
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The DEB Committee met for the first time on November 20, 2019. Despite the pandemic and administration changes, the committee grew in numbers each month and accomplished the following:
- We created a safe and confidential space for parents, faculty, administration, SEL (Social Emotional Learning) and school members to discuss this important work; we developed group norms based on feedback from teachers who participated in the SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) model.
- We reviewed the school’s strategic plan with a diversity, equity and belonging lens.
- We identified the diverse identities we currently have in our school community including diversity in: language, religion, culture, learning profile, family structure, sexual identity, gender fluidity, ethnic identity, socio-economic, neuro-diversity, physical ability, country of origin.
- We explored and discussed four areas with respect to equity and inclusion in our school community: (1) Areas of excellence to be celebrated (2) History and stigma to be aware of within our community (3) Areas in which we are not forward looking, community members are hurting, and need new solutions (4) Obstacles to equity and belonging.
This fall, we are starting to put our introspection into action. Below is a list of what our group has accomplished so far:
- Completed DEB guiding principles (September 2020)
- Introduced the DEB committee to the school community (October 2020)
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Created a web page on the school website (October 2020) kenilworth38.org/community/diversity-equity-belonging
- Committed to a monthly newsletter to highlight DEB work (November 2020)
- Pledged two to three measurable goals for 2020-21 from each of the school community groups including school board, administration, faculty, SEL and parents. Stay tuned for book clubs, open discussions, training opportunities and more (November 2020)
- Scheduled a comprehensive equity and inclusion audit with the Illinois Council for Equity (September 2021)
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The DEB Committee would like to thank the following people:
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Laura Romisher and Myra Love have been part of the SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) program for years and had the hearts and foundation for this work before it was formalized last year.
- Dr. Lisa Leali for helping launch our group in 2019 and sticking with the committee through July 2020.
- Superintendent Kate Donegan for joining the group in April 2020 long before she was officially in her role.
- Our Principal, Dr. Stephanie Helfand, and our committee’s teachers for being the administrative glue through all these changes.
- Carina Brown (7th Grade) for creating a symbolic and powerful DEB logo.
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We reach out today to introduce ourselves and open the lines of communication. In order to achieve our goals, we need this to be a collaborative effort within the whole Joseph Sears School community. So, please, join us. We welcome your questions, ideas, and thoughts. To get involved, fill out our DEB Committee Volunteer Form, or reach out to any of our committee members. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
The Joseph Sears School DEB Committee
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Kate Donegan, Superintendent, kdonegan@kenilworth38.org
Stephanie Helfand, Principal, shelfand@kenilworth38.org
Carrie De La Cruz, Director of Student Services, cdelacruz@kenilworth38.org
Mia Sachs, School Board Liaison, miasachs@gmail.com
Nancy Economou, Social Worker, neconomou@kenilworth38.org
Hilary Harvey, Social Emotional Learning Facilitator, hharvey@kenilworth38.org
Jennifer Arra, 4th Grade Teacher, jarra@kenilworth38.org
Myra Love, Student Services, mlove@kenilworth38.org
Laura Romisher, 8th Grade Math Teacher, lromisher@kenilworth38.org
Toula Sideris, 3rd Grade Teacher, tsideris@kenilworth38.org
Daphna Stepen, 6th Grade ELA Teacher, dstepen@kenilworth38.org
Kath Lyman, JSSPVA Board Representative, kathleenclyman@gmail.com
Shawn Bard, JSSPVA Board Representative, bardfamily@gmail.com
Rebecca Quigley, HEROS Liaison/Parent Lead, rebeccaquigley@aol.com
Marjorie Bransfield, Parent Liaison, bransfall@aol.com
Tanya Brown, Parent Liaison, tanyahbrown@gmail.com
Steve Fifita, Parent Liaison, spfifita@gmail.com
Brittany Gottschall, Parent Liaison, brittanyannsmith@gmail.com
Omar Khalaf, Parent Liaison, khalafo@yahoo.com
Radhika Maheshwari, Parent Liaison, radhika.maheshwari@gmail.com
Joanna Naftali, Parent Liaison, joannanaftali@gmail.com
Claire Serpi, Parent Liaison, claireserpi@gmail.com
Meredith Sullivan, Parent Liaison, msd.sullivan@gmail.com
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Interested in joining the DEB Committee? Please fill out the following form and a committee chairperson will reach out with more information. |
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The Joseph Sears School Diversity, Equity, Belonging Committee
542 Abbotsford Road, Kenilworth, IL, 60043
School Office: 847-256-5006
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