Dear Dorchester Families,
At Dorchester, we know that a crucial part of education is helping students develop empathy for their peers, an appreciation of one another's cultures, and an understanding of the importance of diversity. Each student has a unique identity, which is shaped by family heritage; together, our students' individual identities form our Dorchester Culture. With this in mind, we are continuing the "Culture Show and Tell" program again this year as part of our social-emotional "Community" curriculum.
Your children will have the opportunity to celebrate their heritages, family traditions, and culture with the rest of the class by speaking about an aspect of your family's background. In the next few weeks, your child's teacher will provide you with a date for your child's Culture Show and Tell so that your child can work with you to choose how he or she would like to share with the class about your family's heritage.
Your child can choose to share in any way you see fit, or you may select for your child to take part in one of the following ways:
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Share information about a special family recipe
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Play music that is specific to your family's culture
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Bring and explain an item that your family uses to celebrate a holiday
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Teach the class some words from a language that your family speaks
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Show and explain a picture of a special family moment
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Tell a story about a special family tradition
There are two adjustments we are making to the program this year after reflecting on the process from last year. Please refrain from sending your children in with items to give out to the class or sharing about a vacation that your family took, as these activities can magnify inequities among the students.
Thank you in advance for helping us celebrate the uniqueness and similarities of culture and heritage within our Dorchester community.
