Women’s History Month has been celebrated every March since 1987. International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 to memorialize the contributions of women and girls from around the world to the cause of peace and justice.

The theme of this year’s Women’s History Month is “Women Providing Healing, Providing Hope.” It is an attempt to spotlight the lifesaving work that women do as caregivers and frontline workers during the pandemic and now, during the war in Ukraine.

Here are a few local ways to celebrate this historic month:

See the Wabash Arts Corridor mural entitled “On the Wings of Change” by Chicago-based Spanish-Romanian artist Diosa Uasmina Cazacul honoring Chicago women suffragettes.

The mural, Cazacul writes, “depicts a young adolescent girl enthralled in wonder as she opens a magical book from which the history of Chicago’s women’s suffrage emerges as enchanted pages that whirl all around her."

The artist also states that, "For inspiration for the figure at the bottom I photographed a 14-year-old girl, who will be eligible to vote in the next presidential election. During our session we discussed how the right to vote is a privilege which in the not-so-distant past excluded women and minorities.”

See the mural in person at 33 East Ida B. Wells Drive.

Experience an immersive exhibition of the art of women’s rights icon, Frida Kahlo.

Check out the works of 27 women and non-binary artists at the Woman Made Gallery’s exhibit entitled “Uncommon Prints x Common Matrices.”

Here are a number of virtual events and resources for more information:

A federal government site representing agencies ranging from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the Library of Congress, to “join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.”

Download a toolkit on women’s history month from the National Women’s History Museum.

At the end of February, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and President Joe Biden nominated District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the first African-American woman to sit on the country’s highest court. Her confirmation hearings are in progress as we write–marking a landmark moment for American women this month.

Participate in a yoga and meditation series by our very own Liz MacIntosh, who will be hosting two 3-week yoga and meditation series this spring - one series for K-4th graders and a second series for 5th-8th graders. Liz is a physiotherapist (PT) from the UK specializing in pediatric PT since 2003, and gained her Masters in Physiotherapy at the University College London.

Students will learn basic sun salutations, simple yoga flows and how to tune in to their body’s and mind’s sensations and use breath, meditation and movement to address these feelings. The kids will develop strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and body awareness. They will foster empathy, patience, focus and empower children to accept themselves and others. We hope you can join!

Register here 

Celebrate the diverse cultures of Sears! The JSSPVA World Culture Fair is back! The street fair style event will take place in front of the school on Monday May 9th 5:30-7:00pm (rain date: May 11th). Come learn about a new country or highlight your own story at this wonderful community event. We welcome families to sign up to host a country table here. More information forthcoming! Please reach out to Vanessa Menton or Anne Ryan with any questions.

Support Our Family Services (OFS) is an organization based in Arizona that provides for homeless youth, including those who have run away or been kicked out of their homes for being members of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority communities. The OFS Reunion House serves and houses teens aged 12-17, usually for a few weeks, while they await placements in other homes. The home provides food, transportation to school, and other necessities, while also providing a safe and fun space for the youth. OFS provides service to its community through other means as well, including transitional apartments for ages 18-24, counseling, and crisis assistance. This organization aims to ensure teens’ safety and comfort by bringing families back together using informative classes that help parents understand their children’s needs and identities. For young adults, Our Family Services programs provide safe and affordable housing, along with other necessities.

If you’d like to help these youth in need, the student DEB group has created an Amazon Wish List for the items Reunion House requested. Any items mentioned would be greatly appreciated!

Please consider purchasing items from the wish list that will be sent directly to Reunion House to support homeless youth.

If you are interested in learning more about Reunion House, here is a link to a tour of their facility: Reunion House Virtual Tour.

Meet up with other Sears parents for safe, informal and supportive monthly discussions about parenting and diversity. No topic is off-limits, but we request that conversations are kept in confidence among those who attend. Our next meetup will take place on TBD

Join other members of The Joseph Sears School community to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville, IL on Thursday, May 12th from 4:30pm to 6:15pm. Adults and kids over 5 years of age hand-pack meals specifically designed to assist in reversing and preventing undernutrition.

FMSC donates meals to mission and humanitarian organizations around the world.

Please register here by Friday, April 29th to join our group. Thank you! 

Contact Brittany Gottschall (312-636-9871 or brittanyannsmith@gmail.com) with any questions.

Feed My Starving Children links: volunteer policies & FAQs.

The DEB Committee was created in 2019 to encourage richer dialogues and augmented programming around diversity, equity, and belonging in our school community. 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 schoolhouse.

Kate Donegan, Superintendent, kdonegan@kenilworth38.org

Stephanie Helfand, Principal, shelfand@kenilworth38.org

Mia Sachs, School Board Liaison, msachs@kenilworth38.org

Rebecca Quigley, Parent Lead/HEROS Liaison, rebeccaquigley@aol.com

Shawn Bard, JSSPVA Liaison, shawnbard@gmail.com

Nancy Economou, Social Worker

Hilary Harvey, Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator

Bill Gordon, Vocal Music Teacher

Gabriella Noyes, Social Worker 

Adrienne Eynon, Steve Fifita, Brittany Gottschall, Katalina Groh, Joe Guarino, Anjali Kase,

Interested in joining the DEB Committee? Please fill out the following form and a committee chairperson will reach out with more information.

School Office: 847-256-5006