A message from Principal Debbie Nelsen:
“Dear Hazel Wolf K-8 Families,
Last week Hazel Wolf K-8 made Black Lives Matter Week a priority. We took time away from some of our typical daily learning to embrace this important work and to teach our students about the importance of the history leading to this week, as well as steps moving forward.
Across the grade levels and content areas, the staff provided students with rich opportunities to dig deep inside themselves to understand and reflect.
On Monday, the MS (as a whole) attended an assembly on the history of and necessity for Black Lives Matter Week lead by Erin Jones. To help with the continuation of this work, Ms. Jones shared with us not only the power point presentation with accompanying notes, but also included additional slides about the N-word and suggestions about learning teachers could do moving forward.
On Tuesday, each MS grade level attended a presentation with Erin Jones in which they participated in a variety of interactive activities. She shared her story, including personal experiences with racism and the reasons she has devoted her life to this work. She also spoke about the importance of words and how they are used. She led the kids in an activity where they used post-its to write down negative words/phrases they have been called and have called others and then collected them. This was followed by an activity where the students then wrote down all of the positive words/phrases they have been called, have called others, or would like to hear used. Those were collected at the end of each session.
Throughout the remainder of the week and continuing into an additional week, students participated in specific Black Lives Matter lessons in their classes as well as in long-term units incorporating Black Lives Matter themes.
As part of our conclusion to Black Lives Matter Week, MS students gathered in the courtyard for a symbolic ending to the use of those negative words where the post-its are burned in front of them. In the MS, their positive words were turned into a “positivity garland” hanging throughout the hallways as a visual reminder of what they want to hear and say.
We thank you for the conversations you have had, and hopefully continue to have, with your child. If you have feedback about any of the activities during Black Lives Matter week that you would like to share please let me know.“
For additional information, including resources from Erin Jones’ talk “Black Lives Matter at School: The Power and History of Words” at the PTSA General Session Jan. 22, 2020, visit the Racial Equity Committee webpage.