May 29, 2020 - Special Edition
From Your Principal
Dear Peter Hobart Families, 

Last evening I, along with my white sons and husband, went to the SLP George Floyd protest. I was overwhelmed by the number of Peter Hobart staff, students and families lining the sidewalks of Minnetonka Boulevard and Hwy 100 bridge. With masks on, they raised their arms, held signs, and chanted in solidarity to honor Mr. George Floyd and demand action for his murder.  As car horns sounded, I was reminded of the beauty of our community in St. Louis Park. This is just one of the many reasons why I loved growing up in SLP and continue to make it my home. I feel safe, seen and loved.  That being said, work desperately needs to be done to change the lived experiences of our students, families, and staff of color. 

To our families and staff of color, we will fight to change this system that makes society unsafe for you to live in your full humanity.  May your bodies and souls be healed from centuries of inequities. We see, hear, and love you. We are with you. 

To our white families, we reach out to you as allies and implore you to work with us to change a system that is unjust. We need your privilege, influence, and voice to create a better and more peaceful world. We see, hear, and love you. We are with you. 

Please remember, both the white male police officer perpetrator Derek Chauvin and the black male victim George Floyd were once children in homes, classrooms, and communities like ours.  Collectively, through our actions, we can disrupt the pattern of racism to ensure that the beauty and brilliance of all of our students are recognized.   

To support you, members of the Peter Hobart staff have created a collaborative read aloud and are providing additional resources connected to the book to help your family process the loss of a member of our St. Louis Park community. White staff members have done this work to model ways that white families can use their voices to stop the cycle of silence that has become a norm in our society. 

It is our hope that this activity (and others) will spark further discussions within your family, neighborhood, and larger community about the role race plays in all of our lives. Our families of color are telling the story of George Floyd to their children, white families need to as well. In the end, silence will only lead to more racism. 

Thank you for leaning into this work to build an anti-racist future for ALL our children. 

In solidarity,

Kari Schwietering
Principal
Please note: For the most up to date information please look to the Peter Hobart Website . (Language Translations available)
George Floyd (Say and remember his name)
Video - Something Happened in our Town
Guidance & Resources for Something Happened in our Town
Something Happened in Our Town is designed to engage young children in a compelling story as well as spark important discussions about racial injustice.  These discussions can help children begin to identify and counter racial injustice in their daily lives.  Our hope is that your children, like Josh and Emma, will actively work towards creating a “better pattern” in their community. 

Something Happened in Our Town is designed to be read to children ages 4 to 8, and focuses on bias (prejudiced attitudes) and injustice (discriminatory actions) against African Americans. Before reading this book to children, you may find it helpful to review the material in this link. In addition to providing general guidance about countering racism with children, this note offers child-friendly vocabulary definitions, conversation guides, and a link to additional online resources for parents, caregivers and teachers. This information can help you feel more prepared to address the topics of racial injustice with young children.  

While this book focuses on racial bias and injustice against African Americans, the concepts are relevant for all children, including children from other ethnic minority groups and children with multi-racial identities. This book provides messages of empowerment and positive community support, which help children to maintain a sense of balance and safety in our imperfect world. The book’s messages of acceptance can be applied to other differences between people that children may encounter. In addition to bias based on race, children may confront stereotypes based on gender, disability, economic class, culture, family type, or other factors.  

Additional Resources