The real Ruby Bridges - who in 1960 became the first African-American child  to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South - gave an inspirational message during the 5th Grade Promotion Zoom Ceremony earlier this month.

"We all know, even as adults, how stressful and difficult and very uncertain this entire year has been," she said. "We as educators, leaders, parents - we've been committed to [our students] every step of the way through this...We need them to know that we are expecting good things from them. I've always said that we as adults - somehow we always manage to underestimate the power of children. Being a child, myself, going through that experience, I totally understand that [children] too have power. They may be thinking there's nothing they can do, but there's something that each and everyone of them can do. There's a mission, a reason, why every living thing is here." 

You can watch the full speech here. (Principal Pharr-Matthews' introduction of Ms. Bridges begins at about 15:30.)

To prepare for next year, AUSD educators attended a six-day "Learning Conference" last week that focused on remote learning and trauma-informed teaching strategies. The conference modeled the same kind of "blended learning" that AUSD students may engage in next year - a mix of live meetings, collaboration, and independent work - and gave educators a chance to learn more about the technology platforms they will use next year, as well as skillful ways of teaching, assessing, and creating community with their students. You can learn more about the conference here. 

Please also note:  At the June 23 Board of Education meeting, staff will be presenting survey and poll results from the last several weeks, as well as a recommendation for school schedules for next year. We encourage the public to tune in to the meeting (which will be held via Zoom) to learn more about the thinking behind the recommendations. The meeting will start at 6:30 pm; the agenda (including the Zoom details) will be posted  here.