The Joseph Sears School DEB Newsletter
Volume 9
October 2021
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Listening... to the Sears Students
Recommending... Children’s Books about Indigenous People
Enjoying... Diwali, “The Festival of Lights”
Celebrating... Hanukkah is Coming to Kenilworth
Reframing... ADHD during its awareness month
Learning... about LGBT History Month
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A Message from Sears Students
Contributors: Sears Student DEB Committee
Hi, the members of the DEB (Diversity, Equity, and Belonging) group of the Principal’s Advisory Council here at Sears wanted to let you know how we have been making a change in our community. Sears recently celebrated National Coming Out Day by flying an LGBTQ+ pride flag in the link, as well as educating students on the importance of this holiday.
National Coming Out Day was first celebrated in 1988 and helps support members of the queer community in coming out to their families and friends. Thanks to increased LGBTQ+ representation in the media, coming out is far less risky than in past generations, although many are still struggling with acceptance.
We hope that everyone at Sears feels welcome and accepted by their peers, no matter what community they are a part of. We are also hoping to provide more opportunities to support and educate students on minority groups in the near future.
Whether you’re in the LGBTQ+ community or not, you are loved and accepted and should not feel like you are alone or hidden.
We want our school to be a place where all are accepted, feel comfortable to be out, and admire the people who are not afraid to express themselves.
Thank you, and Happy National Coming Out Day!
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Books Celebrating Indigenous People
Indigenous Peoples' Day Monday, October 11, 2021
Contributor: Brittany Gottshall
Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal, #1 New York Times Bestseller
Inspired by Indigenous-led movements across North America to stand up for environmental justice, We Are Water Protectors issues a rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm. It is a bold and lyrical picture book from Indigenous author-and-illustrator team Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade.
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2019
Told in lively and powerful verse, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family. The book takes the staple food of many tribes across the country and uses it to think about family, history, memory, and community.
More than 160 tribes are featured in this encyclopedia, which presents a comprehensive overview of the history of North America's Native peoples. From the Apache to the Zuni, readers will learn about each tribe's history, traditions, and culture.
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Learning about Diwali
This year, Diwali is celebrated from November 2-5, 2021
Contributor: Sumita Thakurta
Diwali is the festival of lights. It is one of the most popular festivals celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains in India and now all over the world. It symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. The lights of Diwali signify a time to destroy all our dark desires and thoughts and to provide us the strength and the zeal to carry on with our goodwill for the rest of the year. Diyas or small earthen oil lamps are often lit to remember Lord Rama who returned to his kingdom Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon King Ravana in Lanka and serving 14 years of exile.
Leading up to Diwali, many will prepare for this event by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with rangolis (colorful art patterns made with colored rice). During Diwali, people wear new clothes, light up their homes, perform religious ceremonies honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and celebrate with their family and friends, where mithai (Indian sweets) and gifts are often shared.
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Hanukkah is coming to Kenilworth!
Saturday, December 4, 6:15 pm
Contributed by Joanna Naftali
We are excited to announce the momentous, inaugural Hanukkah menorah lighting in Kenilworth! A public menorah will proudly stand in North Park on Green Bay Road at Kenilworth Ave throughout the holiday. Everyone is invited to celebrate the festival of lights with music, sweet Hanukkah treats, and entertainment for the kids on Saturday, December 4th at 6:15 pm.
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October is National ADHD Awareness Month!
Contributor: Shawn Bard
The mission of ADHD Awareness Month is “to educate the public about ADHD by disseminating reliable information based on the evidence of science and peer-reviewed research.” ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects millions of Americans and causes an inability to focus, trouble with organization, and difficulty with detail-oriented tasks, memory, impulsivity, and social skills. The theme for this year’s ADHD Awareness Month is Reframing ADHD: Discovering New Perspectives.
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Learning more about LGBT History Month
Contributor: Shawn Bard
Each October, LGBT individuals across the country celebrate LGBT History Month, a month-long celebration centered on recognizing the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. LGBT History Month was founded in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a gay high school teacher from Missouri. The purpose was to give LGBT kids a chance its founder never had: to learn their history and see themselves in those who came before them. He chose October to coincide with National Day of Coming Out which already existed. In 1995, the General Assembly of the National Education Association passed a resolution that included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. LGBT History Month was endorsed by GLAAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the National Education Association. LBGT History Month has grown to include Spirit Day on October 20th, on which people wear the color purple in support of LGBT youth; Ally Week, and the anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old man who died of a hate crime that resulted in the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Since 2006, LGBT History Month has been organized by Equality Forum, a national and international civil rights organization with an education focus. Each day of the month, Equality Forum highlights a new LGBT icon with a video, biography, images, bibliography, and other resources describing the person’s significance. This list of 2021 icons can be found here: https://lgbthistorymonth.com.
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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. |
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The Joseph Sears School DEB Committee
Faculty/Staff Committee Members
Nancy Economou, Social Worker
Hilary Harvey, Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator
Bill Gordon, Vocal Music Teacher
Parent Committee Members:
Kathy Ambrosino, Marjorie Bransfield, Tanya Brown, Sarah Czepiel, Analia Elizalde,
Steve Fifita, Allison Fitzgerald, Brittany Gottschall, Joe Guarino, Varsha Kaura, Omar Khalaf,
Radhika Maheshwari, Anaga Maira, Sumita Mehta, Vanessa Menton, Steve Mugg,
Amisha Muthialu, Joanna Naftali, Kyra Nelson, Erin Paul,
Kristin Pilant, Janet Scholl, Meredith Sullivan
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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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