Equity and Inclusion Lessons #4: Diversity

Posted by Abby Rotwein on 3/16/2022

Equity and Inclusion Lessons #4: Diversity Kindergarten - 8th Grade

Kindergarten Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to explain the purpose of greetings.
• Students will be able to explain how greetings are similar and different around the world.

ODE Social Science Standards:

• ​​K.1 Engage in respectful dialogue with classmates to define diversity comparing and contrasting visible and invisible similarities and differences. 
• K.3 Develop an understanding of one's own identity groups including, but not limited to, race, gender, family, ethnicity, culture, religion, and ability. 
• K.11 Examine culturally significant traditions, celebrations, days, and places including those from cultures that are currently and historically marginalized.
• K.17  Make connections identifying similarities and differences including race, ethnicity, culture, disability, and gender between self and others. 

Mentor Text:  “How People Greet Each Other Around the World” Slideshow

1st Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to identify effective ways to communicate personal boundaries and show respect for the boundaries of others.

ODE Health Standards:

• HE.1.1.10 Explain that everyone has the right to say who touches their body, when and how. 
• HE.1.1.12 Identify a variety of ways people express affection within various types of relationships
• HE.4.1.6 Identify effective ways to communicate personal boundaries and show respect for the boundaries of others.

ODE Social Science Standards: 

• 1.13  Examine and understand your own self-identity and how it fits with the identity of the family, school, and the local community.

ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

• 1.13 Understand, affirm, respect, and celebrate the diversity of individuals, families, and school communities.

Mentor Text:  “Don’t Hug Doug” by Carrie Finison

2nd Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will learn about ways to be inclusive towards people with disabilities. 

ODE Health Standards:

• HE.1.2.9 Describe how they can be a good friend. 
• HE.1.2.13 Explain bullying and teasing and why bullying and teasing are inappropriate behaviors. 

ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

• 2.3 Evaluate how individuals, groups, and communities manage conflict and promote justice and equity.
• 2.16 Identify a variety of diverse individuals, groups, and circumstances that had an impact on the local community including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent; individuals from all religious backgrounds; and individuals from traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender).

Mentor Texts: “Our Friend Mikayla” by Mikayla’s 3rd Grade Class & Mikayla’s Life and Inclusion video

3rd Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to recognize gender stereotypes in the way toys are marketed.
• Students will be able to promote gender inclusivity.  

ODE Social Science Standards: 

• 3.4  Describe the use of stereotypes and targeted marketing in creating demand for consumer products. 
• 3.11 Describe how the inclusion or exclusion of individuals, social and ethnic groups, including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups has shaped events and development of the local community and region. 

ODE Health Standards:

• HE.1.3.11 Recognize differences and similarities of how individuals identify regarding gender or sexual orientation. 
• HE.1.3.12 Recognize the importance of treating others with respect regarding gender expression and sexual orientation.
• HE.2.3.6 Recognize how friends, family, media, society and culture influence how people think they should act on the basis of their gender.
• HE.7.3.4 List ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to race, ability, other identities, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
• HE.8.3.3 List ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

Mentor Text: Slideshows of advertisements

4th Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to examine the cost of living in major cities in the United States
• Students will be able to make a budget
• Students will be able to think about minimum wage 

ODE Social Science Standards: 

• 4.4  Examine the consequences of power and privilege on issues associated with poverty, income, and the accumulation of wealth. 
• 4.5 Analyze different buying choices and opportunity costs. 
• 4.6 Demonstrate understanding of needs and wants using a budget. 
• 4.13  Identify and explain how discrimination based on race, gender, economic, and social group identity created and continues to affect the history, growth, and current experience of residents of Oregon. 

Mentor Texts: Contemporary cost of living websites, Newsela

5th/6th Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to think about characteristics they ascribe to either boys or girls.
• Students will be able to identify and discuss gender stereotypes.
• Students will be able to talk about ways stereotypes can result in unfair or even harmful situations.

ODE Social Science Standards: 

5th:

• 5.27 Identify characteristics of an event, issue, or problem, suggesting possible causes and results. 
• 5.28 Propose a response or solution to an issue or problem, utilizing research, to support the position. 
• 5.29 Use a range of collaborative procedures to make decisions about and act on civic issues or problems. 

6th:

• 6.4  Identify and analyze historical and contemporary means that societies have undertaken for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups.
• 6.17 Identify and examine the roles and impact of diverse groups of people (social roles, political and economic structures, and family and community systems) across indigenous civilizations. 

ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

5th:

• 5.21 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems of oppression and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other traditionally marginalized groups in the modern era (bias and injustice, discrimination, stereotypes). 

6th:

• 6.17 Identify and examine the roles and impact of diverse groups of people (e.g. gender roles, social roles, political and economic structures) within the countries of the Western Hemisphere. 

ODE Health Standards:

5th:

• HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others.
• HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.
• HE.1.5.12 Discuss ways of expressing gender. 
• HE.2.5.6 Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence how people think they should act on the basis of their gender.
• HE.4.5.5 Demonstrate ways to communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations. 

6th:

• HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others. 
• HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.
• HE.2.6.19 Investigate external influences that have an impact on one’s attitudes about gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. 
• HE.4.6.5 Identify how to communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations. 

7th/8th Grade Diversity Lesson 2

Objectives: 

• Students will be able to reflect on their personal Universe of Obligation.
• Students will be able to think about the Universe of Obligation when it comes to nations. 

ODE Social Science Standards: 

7th Grade:

• 7.4  Analyze the origins, and influence of historical documents, philosophies, religious systems and values, on the development of modern governments and the concept of individual rights, responsibilities for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 
• 7.5  Identifying and analyzing historical and contemporary means societies have undertaken for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups.
• 7.22 Compare the political, technological, and cultural achievements of individuals and groups; and the transformation of cultures and civilizations. 

8th Grade:

• 8.7  Analyze the methods of individuals and movements responsible/necessary for the expanding eligibility of citizenship and the continuing struggle for the expansion of rights and responsibility for ethnic and other historically underrepresented groups at both the local and national level. 

ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

7th Grade:

• 7.5 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the common good. 
• 7.25 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize power, authority, religion, and governance as it relates to systemic oppression and its impact on indigenous peoples and ethnic and religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups in the modern era (bias, injustice, anti-Semitism, discrimination, stereotypes) including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent and traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, religious groups, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender). 

8th Grade:

• 8.9 Analyze the effect of historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good
• 8.28 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize the power, authority, and governance as it relates to systemic op impact on ethnic and religious groups, as well as other historically persecuted individuals in the United States in the modern injustice, discrimination, and stereotypes)

ODE Language Arts Standards:

7th Grade:

• 7.RI.1 Analyze what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially; cite several pieces of textual evidence to support the analysis.
• 7.RI.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an evidence-based summary of the text.
• 7.RI.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6- 8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
• 7.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• 7.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

8th Grade:

• 8.RI.1 Analyze what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially; cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports the analysis.
• 8.RI.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an evidence based summary of the text.
• 8.RI.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
• 8.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• 8.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Mentor Text: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Equity and Inclusion Lessons #3: Diversity Kindergarten - 8th Grade

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 1/12/2022

  Kindergarten Diversity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that people have different religions, cultures, and celebrations both around the world and in our own classroom.
  • Students will be able to write and draw about a day that is special to them.

  ODE Social Science Standards:

  • ​​K.1 Engage in respectful dialogue with classmates to define diversity comparing and contrasting visible and invisible similarities and differences. 
  • K.3 Develop an understanding of one's own identity groups including, but not limited to, race, gender, family, ethnicity, culture, religion, and ability. 
  • K.11 Examine culturally significant traditions, celebrations, days, and places including those from cultures that are currently and historically marginalized.
  • K.17  Make connections identifying similarities and differences including race, ethnicity, culture, disability, and gender between self and others. 

  Book:

  •  “Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World” by Kate DePalma

   

  1st Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that everyone has their own special skin color.
  • Students will be able to recognize that we have similarities and differences in skin color.
  • Students will be able to celebrate their skin color.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 1.12  Describe how individual and group characteristics are used to divide, unite, and categorize racial, ethnic, and social groups. 
  • 1.13  Examine and understand your own self-identity and how it fits with the identity of the family, school, and the local community.
  • 1.14  Identify and explain the perspectives of racial, ethnic, and social groups in our community on local issues including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano/a, Latino/a, or Middle Eastern descent; individuals from all religious backgrounds; and individuals from traditionally marginalized groups.1

   

  1 Throughout the K-5 standards, traditionally marginalized groups should include, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, seniors/elders, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

  ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

  • 1.2 Apply civic virtues (such as equality, freedom, liberty, respect for individual rights, equity, justice, and deliberation) when participating in school settings (such as the classroom, cafeteria, playground, assemblies, and independent work).
  • 1.13 Understand, affirm, respect, and celebrate the diversity of individuals, families, and school communities.

  Books: 

  • “Happy in Our Skin” by Fran Manushkin
  • “The Colors of Us” by Karen Katz

   

  2nd Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to define what respect and equality look like, sound like, and feel like.
  • Students will come up with ideas about how to promote respect and equality at school and in the world.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 2.13  Identify the cultural characteristics of my group identity, (including race, culture, and gender) and of the local community. 
  • 2.16  Identify the history and narratives of traditionally included and excluded individuals, groups, and circumstances, that impact the local community including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent; individuals from all religious backgrounds; and individuals from traditionally marginalized groups. 
  • 2.17 Identify and describe community celebrations, landmarks, symbols from a variety of traditions and explain why they are significant to the cultural heritage of members of the community.

  ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

  • 2.3 Evaluate how individuals, groups, and communities manage conflict and promote justice and equity.
  • 2.16 Identify a variety of diverse individuals, groups, and circumstances that had an impact on the local community including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent; individuals from all religious backgrounds; and individuals from traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender).

  Book: 

  • “Everyone Matters” by Pat Thomas

  
   

  3rd Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize gender stereotypes in the way toys are marketed.
  • Students will be able to promote gender inclusivity.  

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 3.4  Describe the use of stereotypes and targeted marketing in creating demand for consumer products. 
  • 3.11 Describe how the inclusion or exclusion of individuals, social and ethnic groups, including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups has shaped events and development of the local community and region. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.3.11 Recognize differences and similarities of how individuals identify regarding gender or sexual orientation. 
  • HE.1.3.12 Recognize the importance of treating others with respect regarding gender expression and sexual orientation.
  • HE.2.3.6 Recognize how friends, family, media, society and culture influence how people think they should act on the basis of their gender.
  • HE.7.3.4 List ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to race, ability, other identities, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
  • HE.8.3.3 List ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Texts: 

  • Images of real advertisements

   

  4th Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objective: 

  • Students will be able to recognize the diverse history of Oregon.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 4.13  Identify and explain how discrimination based on race, gender, economic, and social group identity created and continues to affect the history, growth, and current experience of residents of Oregon. 

  ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

  • 4.11 Analyze the distinct way of knowing and living amongst the different American Indian tribes in Oregon prior to colonization, such as religion, language, and cultural practices and the subsequent impact of that colonization.
  • 4.12 Explain how diverse individuals, groups (including socioeconomic differences, ethnic groups, and social groups and including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups), and other traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender), circumstances and events influenced the early growth and changes in Oregon (including, but not limited to fur trappers, traders, Lewis and Clark, pioneers and westward movement).
  • 4.14 Examine the history of the nine federally recognized Oregon tribes. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.8.4.4 Describe ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Texts: 

  • Images from the Oregon Historical Society

   

  5th/6th Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objective: 

  • Students will be able to define the words diversity, race, racism, and bias.
  • Students will learn respectful language about race.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  5th:

  • 5.22  Examine how the decisions of those in power affected those with less political/economic power in past and current movements for equality, freedom, and justice with connections to the present-day reality. 
  • 5.25  Develop an understanding of why individuals and groups from various ethnic and religious and traditionally marginalized groups during the same historical period, differed in their perspectives of events, laws/policies, or movements in the United States. 
  • 5.27 Identify characteristics of an event, issue, or problem, suggesting possible causes and results. 
  • 5.28 Propose a response or solution to an issue or problem, utilizing research, to support the position. 
  • 5.29 Use a range of collaborative procedures to make decisions about and act on civic issues or problems. 

  6th:

  • 6.4  Identify and analyze historical and contemporary means that societies have undertaken for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups.
  • 6.17 Identify and examine the roles and impact of diverse groups of people (social roles, political and economic structures, and family and community systems) across indigenous civilizations. 
  • 6.20  Identify and analyze the causes and effects of oppression and resistance in the living histories of historically marginalized groups in the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.21  Identify the motivations, tools, and implications of power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems and tools of oppression (e.g., bias, injustice, discrimination, antisemitism, and stereotypes) and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other historically marginalized groups of the Western Hemisphere. 

  ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

  5th:

  • 5.21 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems of oppression and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other traditionally marginalized groups in the modern era (bias and injustice, discrimination, stereotypes). 

  6th:

  • 6.17 Identify and examine the roles and impact of diverse groups of people (e.g. gender roles, social roles, political and economic structures) within the countries of the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.20 Analyze cause and effect relationships within the living histories of ethnic groups, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups in the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.21 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems of oppression and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other traditionally marginalized groups in the modern era (bias and injustice, discrimination, stereotypes). 

  ODE Health Standards:

  5th:

  • HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others.
  • HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.

  6th:

  • HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others. 
  • HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.

  Text:  

  • Definitions of vocabulary words

   

  7th/8th Grade Diversity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the concept of individual rights.
  • Students will be able to explain how the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights came to be developed in the aftermath of World War II.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  7th Grade:

  • 7.4  Analyze the origins, and influence of historical documents, philosophies, religious systems and values, on the development of modern governments and the concept of individual rights, responsibilities for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 
  • 7.5  Identifying and analyzing historical and contemporary means societies have undertaken for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups.
  • 7.22 Compare the political, technological, and cultural achievements of individuals and groups; and the transformation of cultures and civilizations. 

  8th Grade:

  • 8.7  Analyze the methods of individuals and movements responsible/necessary for the expanding eligibility of citizenship and the continuing struggle for the expansion of rights and responsibility for ethnic and other historically underrepresented groups at both the local and national level. 

  ODE Oregon Holocaust and Genocide Mandate Standards:

  7th Grade:

  • 7.5 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the common good. 
  • 7.25 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize power, authority, religion, and governance as it relates to systemic oppression and its impact on indigenous peoples and ethnic and religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups in the modern era (bias, injustice, anti-Semitism, discrimination, stereotypes) including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent and traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, religious groups, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender). 

  8th Grade:

  • 8.9 Analyze the effect of historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good
  • 8.28 Identify issues related to historical events to recognize the power, authority, and governance as it relates to systemic op impact on ethnic and religious groups, as well as other historically persecuted individuals in the United States in the modern injustice, discrimination, and stereotypes)

  ODE Language Arts Standards:

  7th Grade:

  • 7.RI.1 Analyze what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially; cite several pieces of textual evidence to support the analysis.
  • 7.RI.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an evidence-based summary of the text.
  • 7.RI.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6- 8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • 7.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • 7.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  8th Grade:

  • 8.RI.1 Analyze what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially; cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports the analysis.
  • 8.RI.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an evidence based summary of the text.
  • 8.RI.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • 8.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • 8.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  Text: 

  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

• Equity and Inclusion Lessons #2: Identity, Kindergarten - 8th Grade

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 10/27/2021

  Kindergarten Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that there are all different types of people in the world.
  • Students will be able to share and celebrate things about themselves that they love.

  ODE Social Science Standards:

  • ​​K.1 Engage in respectful dialogue with classmates to define diversity comparing and contrasting visible and invisible similarities and differences. 
  • K.3 Develop an understanding of one's own identity groups including, but not limited to, race, gender, family, ethnicity, culture, religion, and ability. 
  • K.17  Make connections identifying similarities and differences including race, ethnicity, culture, disability, and gender between self and others. 

  Book: 

  • “I Am Perfectly Designed” by Karamo Brown

   

  1st Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to notice that they have heard and seen gender stereotypes before.
  • Students will be able to celebrate that all kids can play with, wear, and like what they want.  

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 1.2  Identify and apply civic virtues (such as equality, freedom, liberty, respect for individual rights, diversity, equity, justice, and deliberation) when interacting with classmates, families, and the school community.
  • 1.12  Describe how individual and group characteristics are used to divide, unite, and categorize racial, ethnic, and social groups. 
  • 1.13  Examine and understand your own self-identity and how it fits with the identity of the family, school, and the local community.
  • 1.14  Identify and explain the perspectives of racial, ethnic, and social groups in our community on local issues including individuals who are American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano/a, Latino/a, or Middle Eastern descent; individuals from all religious backgrounds; and individuals from traditionally marginalized groups.1

   

  1 Throughout the K-5 standards, traditionally marginalized groups should include, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, seniors/elders, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.1.7 Explain that there are many ways to express gender. 
  • HE.1.1.8 Recognize the importance of treating others with respect including gender expression.
  • HE.2.1.4 Provide examples of how friends and family influence how people think they should act on the basis of their gender.
  • HE.4.1.5 Discuss ways to communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations.

  Books: 

  • “Except When They Don’t” by Laure Gehl 
  • “My Princess Boy” by Cheryl Kilodavis

   

  2nd Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the various aspects of their identity.
  • Students will be able to share aspects of their inside and outside identities and find connections.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 2.13  Identify the cultural characteristics of my group identity, (including race, culture, and gender) and of the local community. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.2.7 Recognize differences and similarities of how individuals identify regarding gender. 
  • HE.1.2.8 Recognize the importance of treating others with respect including gender expression.
  • HE.2.2.4 Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence how people think they should act on the basis of their gender.

  Book: 

  • “Lovely” By Jess Hong

   

  3rd Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to learn about children with different needs and abilities.
  • Students will be able to brainstorm and share what they need to be successful, supported, and loved, as well as sharing how they express themself.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.7.3.4 List ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to race, ability, other identities, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
  • HE.8.3.3 List ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Book: 

  • “Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You” by Sonia Sotomayor

   

  4th Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the various aspects of their identity.
  • Students will be able to share aspects of their identity and find connections.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 4.13  Identify and explain how discrimination based on race, gender, economic, and social group identity created and continues to affect the history, growth, and current experience of residents of Oregon. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.4.10 Describe differences and similarities of how individuals identify regarding gender or sexual orientation. 
  • HE.1.4.11 Understand importance of treating others with respect regarding gender expression and sexual orientation. 
  • HE.8.4.4 Describe ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Texts: 

  • Teacher example

   

  5th Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objective: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on their culture and find similarities and differences with their peers.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.7.5.4 Demonstrate ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. 
  • HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others.
  • HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.

  Texts: 

  • Teacher example

   

  6th/7th Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on their culture and find similarities and differences with their peers.
  • Students will be able to discuss the concept of “American culture.”

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  6th:

  • 6.14 Identify and describe how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions connect to human identities and cultures in the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.21  Identify the motivations, tools, and implications of power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems and tools of oppression (e.g., bias, injustice, discrimination, antisemitism, and stereotypes) and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other historically marginalized groups of the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.23  Explain and analyze the historical context of key people, cultures, products, events, and ideas over time including the examination of different perspectives from indigenous people, ethnic and religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups throughout the Western Hemisphere.

  7th:

  • 7.4  Analyze the origins, and influence of historical documents, philosophies, religious systems and values, on the development of modern governments and the concept of individual rights, responsibilities for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 
  • 7.22 Compare the political, technological, and cultural achievements of individuals and groups; and the transformation of cultures and civilizations. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  6th:

  • HE.1.6.23 Define gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.6.24 Identify diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

  7th:

  • HE.1.7.22 Define the differences between biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. 
  • HE.1.7.24 Define gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.7.25 Recognize diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

   

  8th Grade Identity Lesson 2

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on their culture and find similarities and differences with their peers.

  ODE Social Science Standards:

  • 8.9 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and identify individuals and/or groups 4 promoting the common good including the importance of advocacy and activism related to socio-economic resistance (i.e. civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, worker’s rights) for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 

   

  4 American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender).

  • 8.22  Evaluate continuity and change over the course of United States history by analyzing examples of class, gender, religious, regional, and racial conflict, compromise, cooperation, interdependence, and the pursuit of social justice from multiple perspectives. 
  • 8.25  Evaluate the impact of the intersectionality of what constitutes identity including, including but not limited to, gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, physical and mental disability, and class on the living histories and experiences of peoples, groups, and events. 
  • 8.27  Determine and explain the importance and contributions (products, events, actions, and ideas) of key people, cultures, and ethnic groups 6, religious groups, and other historically underrepresented groups in Oregon, the United States, and the world. 

   

  6 American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender). 

  • 8.28  Critique and analyze historical events to recognize power, authority, religion, economics, and governance as they relate to systemic oppression and its impact on Indigenous peoples, ethnic and religious groups, and other historically marginalized groups in the colonial and modern era. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.8.24 Explain gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.8.25 Examine diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
  • HE.2.8.1 Analyze the influence of culture on health beliefs, practices, and behaviors.
  • HE.2.8.9 Review how food choices are influenced by culture, family, media, technology, peers, body image and emotions. 
  • HE.2.8.14 Assess the influence of personal values and beliefs on individual health practices and behaviors. 
  • HE.7.8.10 Demonstrate ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. 
  • HE.8.8.3 Advocate for the promotion of empathy for individual differences.
  • HE.8.8.6 Work cooperatively to advocate for respect of diversity of individuals, families, and schools that fosters safety in learning and achievement. 
  • HE.8.8.7 Advocate for school policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for all.

  Texts: 

  • Teacher example

• Equity and Inclusion Lessons #1, Kindergarten - 8th Grade

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/21/2021

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/20/2021

   

  Kindergarten Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that there are different types of families and a variety of family structures.
  • Students will be able to celebrate and share about their own families.

  ODE Social Science Standards:

  • ​​K.1 Engage in respectful dialogue with classmates to define diversity comparing and contrasting visible and invisible similarities and differences. 
  • K.3 Develop an understanding of one's own identity groups including, but not limited to, race, gender, family, ethnicity, culture, religion, and ability. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.K.14 Identify different kinds of family structures.

  Books:

  • “A Family is a Family is a Family” by Sara O’Leary 
  • “Who’s in My Family?” by Robie H. Harris

  1st Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that different families have different routines and traditions.
  • Students will be able to share a tradition that is important to them.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 1.10  Understand that families have a past. 
  • 1.11  Identify, affirm, respect, and explain the diverse cultural heritage, songs, symbols, and celebrations of my community and the diverse social and ethnic groups in Oregon and the United States of America. 
  • 1.13  Examine and understand your own self-identity and how it fits with the identity of the family, school, and the local community.

  Books: 

  • “All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold 
  • “This is How We Do It” by by Matt Lamothe

  2nd Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to recognize that there are different types of bodies and learn some language around bodies.  
  • Students will be able to celebrate their bodies the way they are.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 2.13  Identify the cultural characteristics of my group identity, (including race, culture, and gender) and of the local community. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.8.2.1 Explain the importance of promoting personal health.

  Books: 

  • “Bodies are Cool” by Tyler Feder 
  • “The Best Part of Me” by Wendy Ewald

  3rd Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the various aspects of their identity.
  • Students will be able to share aspects of their identity and find connections.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.7.3.4 List ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to race, ability, other identities, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
  • HE.8.3.3 List ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Books:

  • “The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson 
  • “Drawn Together” by Minh Lê

  4th Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the importance of names- where they come from, what they mean, who chooses them- and learn the inherent respect in calling someone by their correct name and with correct pronunciation.
  • Students will be able to celebrate and share about their own names.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 4.13  Identify and explain how discrimination based on race, gender, economic, and social group identity created and continues to affect the history, growth, and current experience of residents of Oregon. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.8.4.4 Describe ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people. 

  Books: 

  • “My Name is María Isabel” by Alma Flor Ada 
  • “Thunder Boy Jr.” by Sherman Alexie
  • “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi
  • “Alma and How She Got Her Name” by Juana Martinez-Neal

  5th Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to talk about their own identity, personal history, and culture.

  Common Core ELA Standards:

  • 5.RL.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • 5.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  • 5.W.3c Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. 
  • 5.w.3d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. 
  • 5.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.7.5.4 Demonstrate ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. 
  • HE.8.5.4 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance of yourself and others.
  • HE.8.5.5 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people.

  Texts:  

  • “A Kids Book About Identity” by Jimmy Gomez/Taboo 
  • Student example poems

  6th Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on stereotypes and the harm they cause.
  • Students will be able to share aspects of their identity and dispel stereotypes about groups to which they belong.

  Common Core ELA Standards:

  • 6.RL.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • 6.W.2e Establish and maintain an appropriate style for content, purpose, and audience.
  • 6.W.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented. 
  • 6.w.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. 
  • 6.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 6.14 Identify and describe how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions connect to human identities and cultures in the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.21  Identify the motivations, tools, and implications of power, authority, and governance as it relates to systems and tools of oppression (e.g., bias, injustice, discrimination, antisemitism, and stereotypes) and its impact on ethnic and religious groups and other historically marginalized groups of the Western Hemisphere. 
  • 6.23  Explain and analyze the historical context of key people, cultures, products, events, and ideas over time including the examination of different perspectives from indigenous people, ethnic and religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups throughout the Western Hemisphere.

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.6.23 Define gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.6.24 Identify diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

  Texts: 

  • Student example poems

  7th Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the many layers of their identity.
  • Students will be able to talk about their own identity, personal history, and culture.

  Common Core ELA Standards:

  • 7.RL.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • 7.W.2e Establish and maintain an appropriate style for content, purpose, and audience.
  • 7.W.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. 
  • 7.W.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. 
  • 7.w.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
  • 7.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  ODE Social Science Standards: 

  • 7.4  Analyze the origins, and influence of historical documents, philosophies, religious systems and values, on the development of modern governments and the concept of individual rights, responsibilities for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 
  • 7.22 Compare the political, technological, and cultural achievements of individuals and groups; and the transformation of cultures and civilizations. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.7.22 Define the differences between biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. 
  • HE.1.7.24 Define gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.7.25 Recognize diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

  Text: 

  • “Where I’m From” poem by George Ella Lyon

  8th Grade Identity Lesson 1

  Objectives: 

  • Students will be able to reflect on the many layers of their identity.
  • Students will be able to talk about their own identity, personal history, and culture.
  • Students will be able to dispel stereotypes about groups to which they belong.

  Common Core ELA Standards:

  • RL.8.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • RL.8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
  • RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

  ODE Social Science Standards:

  • 8.9 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and identify individuals and/or groups 4 promoting the common good including the importance of advocacy and activism related to socio-economic resistance (i.e. civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, worker’s rights) for the expansion of justice, equality, and equity for individuals and/or groups of previously historically underrepresented groups. 

   

  4 American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender).

  • 8.22  Evaluate continuity and change over the course of United States history by analyzing examples of class, gender, religious, regional, and racial conflict, compromise, cooperation, interdependence, and the pursuit of social justice from multiple perspectives. 
  • 8.25  Evaluate the impact of the intersectionality of what constitutes identity including, including but not limited to, gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, physical and mental disability, and class on the living histories and experiences of peoples, groups, and events. 
  • 8.27  Determine and explain the importance and contributions (products, events, actions, and ideas) of key people, cultures, and ethnic groups 6, religious groups, and other historically underrepresented groups in Oregon, the United States, and the world. 

   

  6 American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian or Americans of African, Asian, Pacific Island, Chicano, Latino, or Middle Eastern descent, religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender). 

  • 8.28  Critique and analyze historical events to recognize power, authority, religion, economics, and governance as they relate to systemic oppression and its impact on Indigenous peoples, ethnic and religious groups, and other historically marginalized groups in the colonial and modern era. 

  ODE Health Standards:

  • HE.1.8.24 Explain gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation across cultures. 
  • HE.1.8.25 Examine diversity among people, including age, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, color, marital status, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
  • HE.2.8.1 Analyze the influence of culture on health beliefs, practices, and behaviors.
  • HE.2.8.9 Review how food choices are influenced by culture, family, media, technology, peers, body image and emotions. 
  • HE.2.8.14 Assess the influence of personal values and beliefs on individual health practices and behaviors. 
  • HE.7.8.10 Demonstrate ways to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect, with regard to gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. 
  • HE.8.8.3 Advocate for the promotion of empathy for individual differences.
  • HE.8.8.6 Work cooperatively to advocate for respect of diversity of individuals, families, and schools that fosters safety in learning and achievement. 
  • HE.8.8.7 Advocate for school policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for all.

  Text: 

  • “For My People” poem by Margaret Walker

   

Holidays and Celebrations  Happy Our Lady of Guadalupe to those who celebrate. December 15th is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the signing of the original Bill of Rights in 1791. Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish community. Winter Solstice is on December 21st and marks the first official day of winter. Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.  Happy Kwanzaa to those who celebrate. December 29th is Wounded Knee Day, which honors the Lakota Sioux who were killed by U.S. troops in 1890. Learn more from the Equal Justice Initiative. The Impact of Hate Speech In the last year, there has been a rise in antisemetic rhetoric on social media platforms. While some may dismiss the comments as “just words,” Holocaust denial and the repetition of antisemetic tropes has a direct impact on feelings of safety among Jewish students and families. The impact of these comments is not limited to words alone  —  the Anti-Defamation League tracks incidents annually and their 2021 report is alarming: Antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). This represents the highest number of incidents on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979 – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year. Similarly, we have seen a rise in homophobia online  — followed by atrocities such as what happened in Colorado Springs a few weeks ago. A 2022 research project out of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom states: Hate crime, both online and offline, is reportedly on the rise worldwide, with the UK recording a 19% increase in anti-LGB hate crimes from 13,314 incidents per year in 2018/19 to 15,835 per year in 2019/20 and a 16% increase in transgender hate crimes from 2,183 incidents to 2,540 incidents (Home Office, 2020). Similar increases have been reported to ODIHR, in which 1272 sexuality and gender-identity motivated bias crimes were recorded across 35 States (ODIHR, 2019), an increase from 840 reports across 29 States in 2018 (ODIHR, 2018). In the USA, the FBI reported 1393 hate crimes targeting a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity (FBI, 2019).  The report focuses further on the impact of online hate speech on LGBTQ+ students and the findings are not surprising  —  the language of hate has a significant impact on the mental health and well being of young people. Riverdale School District has policies in place to ensure all identities are safe and supported in our schools. The Every Student Belongs policy states, “All students are entitled to a high quality educational experience, free from discrimination or harassment based on actual or perceived: color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, linguistic diversity, nationality status, neurodiversity, national origin, race, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, size/body type, or socioeconomic status.” Academic content about identities, including gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and ability, are required in public schools in the state of Oregon. The Oregon Department of Education has clear and specific standards about these topics across content areas, including Social Sciences, Science, Health, and Language Arts. This includes new Social Science standards on the topics of Tribal History, Holocaust and Other Genocides, and Ethnic Studies. These topics must be covered in grades K-12 with different standards for each grade that are tied to developmental levels. Let’s all work together to help our young people understand that words matter and have a big impact.

Community Affinity Sessions To build off the input we have already gathered for our strategic vision, we are holding community affinity sessions to gain input from historically marginalized groups. Our fall affinity sessions will be held in person at Riverdale High School. It will be a great opportunity to connect with other caregivers.   No need to RSVP.   These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students. Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, December 14th, 4:30 - 6 PM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

Holidays and Celebrations  November 20th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This day remembers those who have been killed for being transgender or gender non-conforming. Learn more from the Human Rights Campaign. November 25th is Thanksgiving Day. The Wampanoag tribe helped the Pilgrims survive. Hear more about their story and perspective in this article from the Washington Post. We hope our Bahá’í community has a festive Day of the Covenant. Happy Navaratri to our Hindu community. We hope our Christian community has a lovely Advent. December 1st is World Aids Day.  The purpose of this day is to unite in the fight against Aids and HIV and commemorate those who have died.   December 3rd is the International Day of Person with Disabilities. Learn more from the United Nations. Happy Bodhi Day to our Buddhist community. Native American Heritage Month Celebration Our assembly and community event were a huge success! A big thank you to all who were involved in planning and everyone who came out to support our Native American community. Check out pictures and video below of our assembly with Hudson T. and Becca Kirk.

Community Affinity Sessions To build off the input we have already gathered for our strategic vision, we are holding community affinity sessions to gain input from historically marginalized groups.  Our fall affinity sessions will be held in person at Riverdale High School. It will be a great opportunity to connect with other caregivers.   No need to RSVP.   These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students. Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color: This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latina/Latino, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, November 30th, 4:30 - 6 PM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromantic, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, December 7th, 4:30 - 6 PM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, December 14th, 4:30 - 6 PM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

Oct. 28 Equity & Inclusion Corner

Posted by Abby Rotwein on 10/28/2022

Holidays and Celebrations 

Happy Halloween to those who celebrate.

We hope our Christian community has a good Reformation Day, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.

November is National Adoption Month.  Learn more at the Child Welfare Agency.

November is Native American Heritage Month.  We hope you will be joining us at our celebration at the grade school next Friday, November 4th.  To learn more about this month, check out our Native American Heritage Month Slideshow 2022 that K-8 students will be viewing in their classrooms this week.  Feel free to check out last year’s slideshow as well: Native American Heritage Month Slideshow 2021.

Día de los Muertos is a Latin American holiday that celebrates the connection between loved ones who have died and those who are still living.  Check out our Día de los Muertos Slideshow 2022 that was made by students in the Latinx Club at a local middle school.  

We hope our Bahá’í community has a meaningful Birth of the Báb and Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

We hope our Sikh community has a lovely Guru Nanak Jayanti.

Election day is November 8th.  We encourage all to exercise their right to vote!

Kristallnacht, “The Night of the Broken Glass,” took place in Germany on November 9th, 1938.  Nazis and civilians destroyed the homes and businesses of Jewish residents.  Learn more from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

November 11th is Veterans’ Day.  To all veterans and active military personnel, we thank you for your service.

November 16th is the International Day for Tolerance.  Learn more from UNESCO.

Student Investment Account (SIA)

I presented our SIA 2021-22 End of Year Report at the Board Meeting on Monday, October 24th.  Feel free to check the document out in the Student Investment Account section of our District Website.

Native American Heritage Month Celebration at Riverdale Grade School

All are welcome to join us at our first ever Riverdale Native American Heritage Month Celebration!

We will kick-off the celebration with an assembly during the school day for students, and then open up the event to the community from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. See the flier below for details.  

We hope to see you there! A big thank you to the Grade School Equity Team members for working hard on planning this special event.

-Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/30/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations

  October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Learn more and how you can help from the Anti-Defamation League.

  October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Check out the U.S. Department of Labor to learn more.

  October is LGBT History Month. The official website is a great resource for learning.

  October 2nd is the International Day of Non-Violence. This day celebrates Mahatma Gandhi and his enduring message of non-violence as a means to create change.

  Happy Dussehra to our Hindu community.

  October 5th is World Teacher’s Day. Thank you to our amazing Riverdale teachers and support staff for all they do.

  We hope that our Jewish community has a restorative Yom Kippur. 

  We hope our Muslim community has a wonderful Malwi Al-Nabi.

  October 10th is Indigenous People’s Day, which has been a state holiday in Oregon since 2017. Some states refer to it as Columbus Day. Learn more about the conversation and the history of the holiday from Oprah Daily.

  Happy Sukkot to our Jewish community.

  October 11th is Coming Out Day, which celebrates the bravery of coming out as LGBTQ+. Learn more from the Human Rights Campaign.

  - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/16/2022

  Holidays and Celebrations 

   

  Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to our Hispanic/Latine/Latino community. See below for more information.

  September 17th is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This holiday celebrates the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

  September 22nd is the Autumnal Equinox and thus the first official day of fall. 

  September 23rd is Bi Visibility Day. To our Bisexual+ community - we see you and are glad you are here at Riverdale.

  Shana Tova to our Jewish community. We hope you have a lovely Rosh Hashanah from September 25th - 27th.

   

  September 15th - October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month

   

  Here are some resources and events where you can learn about and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

  • Hispanic Heritage Month Slideshow 2022 is a resource I developed for teachers and students. It has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School. Check out last year’s slideshow here: Hispanic Heritage Month Slideshow 2021
  • Peruse the Latinx and Latin American Books list from Social Justice Books for recommendations organized by Elementary Grades, Middle Grades, Young Adult, and Adult Nonfiction.
  • The Library of Congress Hispanic Heritage Month has a wealth of resources and online events.

  From Travel Oregon:

  • The El Grito Fiestas Patrias festival (Sept. 15-16, 2022) is the Pacific Northwest’s largest celebration of its kind. El Grito celebrates the independence of former Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America, and their vibrant cultures. Visitors enjoy traditional mariachi and folkloric dance, live music and a wide range of food and arts vendors.
  • The inaugural JUNTOSpdx celebration (Sept. 17-Oct. 15, 2022) was created to connect, inform, inspire and celebrate Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month, founder Cristian Vargas says. Families are invited to Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown during five individually themed weekends of activities including art and vintage crafts, stories of triumph, music and dance, artisan flea markets and community. There will be local vendors, low riders, piñatas, guest speakers, dancing and more.
  • The Portland Latin American Film Festival (Sept. 22-Nov. 17, 2022) — affiliated with the Hollywood Theatre — offers a wide range of innovative films.

  - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Sept. 2 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/2/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  We hope that our Hindu community had a wonderful Ganesh Chaturthi. Labor Day honors those who fought for a livable wage, safe working conditions and a shorter work day. We appreciate those efforts. Welcome Back! I am so excited to continue to help support, collaborate, and lead equity and inclusion work here at Riverdale. This bi-weekly newsletter is a place where you can find resources, announcements and other related content. You can find previous issues on our District website under the tab Equity and Inclusion Corner. This is our vision:

The terms equity and inclusion have become hot topics in the news in recent years. It can be quite confusing to delineate what they actually are and mean, especially in a school setting.   Equity means that all students are getting what they need to thrive - academically, socially, and emotionally. Inclusion means everyone is able to show up and be valued as their most authentic selves. The image to the left is helpful at understanding the difference between equality and equity. Equity is not about taking from some and giving to others. There is room for everyone to be successful and “see the soccer game.”   The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is very clear about required standards regarding this content in K-12 public schools. Here is a summary ODE provided last year:

Complete grade level standards and resources can be found on the Oregon Department of Education website. Riverdale High School is a No Place for Hate School I am overjoyed to announce that Riverdale High School has received official designation from the Anti-Defamation League as a No Place for Hate School.  A big congratulations to our students and staff who worked hard to make our school a welcoming and inclusive place for all. Students will have the opportunity to sign up to participate in No Place for Hate in the coming weeks - keep a lookout. - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

Equity & Inclusion Corner  Holidays and Celebrations  June 12th is Anne Frank Day, which acknowledges her life and experiences. June 12th is Loving Day, which celebrates the day in 1967 that the Supreme Court ended miscegenation laws (laws which banned interracial marriage in the United States).  Happy All Saint’s Day to our Eastern Christian community.  We hope our Bahá’í community has a wonderful Race Unity Day.   June 14th is Flag Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the United States flag. We wish a lovely Fathers’s Day to all fathers and father figures.  We recognize that this can be a special day for many and a hard day for others.

June 19th is Juneteenth, which commemorates the abolition of enslavement in Texas and celebrates African American freedom and achievement. Learn more about Juneteenth events in Portland. June 20th is World Refugee Day, which raises awareness about refugees throughout the globe. On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.  June is Pride Month In June of 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a popular LGBTQ+ bar in New York City, was raided by the police. During that time period, it was illegal to have same-sex physical relationships in every state other than Illinois. Police departments throughout the country frequently went into LGBTQ+ gathering places and arrested the inhabitants. On this occasion, the patrons at Stonewall resisted arrest, and a scuffle broke out.  What followed was five days of protests by activists against unjust treatment by the police. This event, referred to as the Stonewall uprising, is considered the start of the modern movement for gay rights. From the Oregon Department of Education:  Every year, in the month of June, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community celebrates Pride Month. While including positive representations of LGBT history and people in the curriculum is most effective when it is regular practice, June provides an opportunity to connect topics with current events and celebrations. GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey consistently finds that students with inclusive curricula have a greater sense of belonging to their school community, hear fewer homophobic remarks, and are less likely to be victimized or feel unsafe at school than those without inclusive curriculum. Including LGBT topics in your classroom year-round helps make a school a safer place for all students.

K-5 and Young Adult Booklist This year, the Rainbow Book List Committee of the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table reviewed nearly 450 books published between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, and selected 122 titles of fiction and non-fiction books for toddlers through young adults, down just a smidge from last year’s 129. The committee noted: At a time when so many books are being challenged and banned, we are amazed and forever grateful to authors who continue to write these necessary stories. Each year, the committee notices that the level of diversity among book content and authorship is increasing, and this year was no different. We are thrilled to be able to provide a list of book titles that truly represents where LGBTQIA youth lives and literature are today. We hope that readers see reflections of themselves in these works and windows into the lives of others.

Check out these Portland Pride Official Events (link to all event details here): June 16th: History of Black Drag in Portland: An Evening of Conversation and Performance  June 18th: Dyke March June 18th:  Portland Gay Men’s Chorus Presents: Let’s Get Proud June 18th: Gaylabration 2022 - DecaDANCE June 18th - 19th: Portland Pride Waterfront Festival June 18th - 19th: Pride Pics: An Outdoor Film Experience June 19th: Portland Pride Parade June 19th: PDX Latinx Pride! A Queer Latinx Dancy Party  June 23rd: Cirque du Soleil Alegria June 25th: Let’s Pride Together Block Party! June 25th: Portland Pride Paddle  Read A Guide to Gender Identity Terms from NPR.  Make sure you are using contemporary, respectful language by diving into this Glossary of Terms from GLAAD. While this content may be new to you, it is important to treat people with respect by referring to them the way they identify.

Remembering & Honoring Carson Bride We raised a total of over $6,600 for Lines for Life in Honor of Carson Bride. A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed, donated, donated items, and a special thank you to No Place for Hate students for organizing these events. No Place for Hate Year in Review and Community Ask The 3-minute video below shares what No Place for Hate has accomplished this year at Riverdale High School. At the end, it provides an opportunity for students, staff, and community members to sign a group of agreements to commit to helping build a positive community in Riverdale. View the video here You can add your name to the pledge by using the QR code at the end of the video or access the document directly here: No Place for Hate Pledge. This is the final step in receiving an official designation from the Anti-Defamation League as a No Place for Hate School. Thanks for your support! - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• May 27 Equity & Inclusion Corner 

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/27/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner  Holidays and Celebrations  We hope our Bahá’í community has a meaningful Ascension of Baha'u'llah. May 30 is Memorial Day, which celebrates and gives thanks to all who have died in the United States armed forces. We appreciate your sacrifice and service.  June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Our June 10th Equity and Inclusion Corner will feature information about events and opportunities for learning.  Happy Pentecost/Whitsunday to our Christian community. June 5th is World Environment Day. Learn more at the United Nations World Environment Day website.   Happy Shavuot to our Jewish community.  May is Jewish American Heritage Month From the Oregon Department of Education:  On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month in celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History. This May, more than 120 organizations around the U.S. have joined together to help Americans of all backgrounds discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day.  Take a look at the resources below celebrating Jewish American heritage this month and throughout the year. PBS Documentary - The Jewish Americans ICS Jewish American Heritage Month classroom resources ADL Anti-Bias Resources for Jewish American History Month Teaching with Documents from the National Archives Jewish Culture and Traditions: Resources in the American Folklife Center Spotify Playlist Celebrating Jewish Heritage From the Anti-Defamation League: Reading books is a great opening to talk about identity, diversity, bias, and social justice. ADL’s collection includes excellent picture, chapter, and young adult books. Monthly featured books come with discussion guides for teachers and families. These lists, created by American Jewish Libraries, are meant to be shared with ALL readers, including non-Jewish children and teens. AJL believes that meeting Jews on the page will inspire friendship when readers meet Jews in real life.

  In addition to the K-8 books above, two additional books for teachers and high school students explore issues of identity, race, ethnicity, and antisemitism. Baddiel is a comedian best known in the U.K. He is the author of many young adult books. His book takes a serious turn as an examination of the present condition of Jews in Europe and the United States facing rising antisemitic violence and yet sensing that the world is paying little attention to this kind of hatred. Horn's book, written from the perspective of a literature teacher and celebrated young author, exposes the gap between the fascination and focus on Jews killed in the Holocaust with the failure to recognize the vibrancy of Jewish life in the present day. Her chapters on the intended lessons of Holocaust and genocide education can make for a great discussion.

  Remembering & Honoring Carson Bride We have had a special week of events at the high school in honor of Carson Bride. See below for images from our Lines for Life Assembly, Tree Dedication & Remembrance Ceremony, and Lines for Life Student Auction. The student auction today raised a whopping $3,140!!! Carson’s Kindness Matters Lines for Life Silent Auction Thank you to so many of you who have already contributed to our silent auction! We have extended the online auction by another week as donations keep coming in! New items are being added almost daily. EXTENDED: Bidding closes on Friday, June 3 at 3 p.m. If you would like to simply donate without purchasing any items, you also have the option to do that on our silent auction website. Check out the items and bid away at: Carson’s Kindness Matters Auction Winners will be emailed and will have the opportunity to pick up their items between Monday, June 6th and Friday, June 10th at Riverdale High School. - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• May 13 Equity and Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/13/2022

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  Happy Vesak/Buddha Day to our Buddhist community.

  We hope our Jewish community has a wonderful Lag B’Omer.

  May 21st is the World Day for Cultural Diversity, which celebrates “Equitable exchange and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based on mutual understanding and respect and the equal dignity of all cultures is the essential prerequisite for constructing social cohesion, reconciliation among peoples and peace among nations.” (United Nations Website)

  We wish our Bahá’í community a lovely Declaration of the Báb. 

  Happy Ascension Day to our Christian community. 

  Community Affinity Sessions

  I am overjoyed to share that our Spring community affinity sessions will be held in person at Riverdale High School.  It will be a great opportunity to connect with other caregivers.  While I know mornings are not ideal for all, I try to alternate meeting times to provide opportunities for people with all kinds of schedules.

  No need to RSVP.  Please join us for coffee and pastries.

  These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students.

  Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color:  This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latina/Latino, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Monday, May 16th, 9-10 AM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room

  Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromantic, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Thursday, May 19th, 9-10 AM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room

  Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Friday, May 20th, 9-10 AM in the Riverdale High School Maverick Room

  Upcoming Cultural Events

  Oregon Rises Above Hate on May 14, 2022 in Portland, Oregon

  Join together to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the AANHPI (Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) community, its resilience, and commit to combat the continued rise anti-Asian hate. Cultural heritage institutions will be open for free to encourage exploration of AANHPI culture & history, including Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland Chinatown Museum, and others.  Speakers, performances, and more in-person and livestream on https://oregonrisesabovehate.com

  Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Sunday May 22nd, noon - 2:30 PM at Millenium Plaza in Lake Oswego

  Come celebrate and enjoy entertainment and food demonstrations!  Sponsored by the City of Lake Oswego, LO for LOve, and Respond to Racism.

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• April 29 E&I Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/29/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. See below for ways to learn about and celebrate this month. May is Jewish American Heritage Month, which honors the achievements and contributions of Jewish Americans. Learn more at the official website. May 1st is May Day, which commemorates the labor movement's fight for rights. It is also known as the International Workers’ Day.   Happy Eid Al-Fitr to our Muslim community, we hope you enjoy the end of your fast. Happy Cinco de Mayo to our Mexican American community and all who celebrate. We wish a lovely Mother’s Day to all mothers and mother figures. We recognize that this can be a special day for many and a hard day for others.

  May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Here are some resources and events where you can celebrate and learn about Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage and history: Asian American Books is a compilation of books organized by age group, from early childhood to adult. It includes additional book lists specific to South Asian Americans, Chinese Americans, and Japanese Americans. The AARP of Oregon is hosting a number of special events this month, including:  Movies for Grownups - Minari: May 10th, 6:30 PM Fighting Anti - Asian Hate: Impact on Elders: May 12th, 12 PM The Filipino Kitchen: May 17th, 10 AM Hawaiian Dance and Lei Making Demonstration: May 24th, 10 AM Experience Lan Su Chinese Garden: May 27th, 12 PM Musical Celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: May 31st, 6:30 PM Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Slideshow is a resource I developed for teachers and students. It has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School. If you have not yet visited the brand new Japanese American Museum of Oregon, it is currently open on Fridays - Sundays from 11AM to 3PM. Check out the Venture Portland website for their great list of local Asian American and Pacific Islander restaurants, stores, and businesses. - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• April 15 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/15/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  We hope that our Christian community has a lovely Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Happy Pesach (Passover) to our Jewish community. We hope that our Buddhist community has a celebratory Theravada New Year. Happy Festival of Ridván to our Bahá’í community. April 24 is Armenian Martyrs’ day, which recognizes the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey beween 1915 and 1923.  We hope that our Muslim community has a meaningful Lailat Al-Qadr. April 28 is Yom Hashoah, which is Holocaust Remembrance Day for the Jewish community.   Karen Gaffney Assemblies It was such a joy and privilege to have Karen Gaffney speak to both our middle schoolers and our high schoolers this past week! She is an incredible speaker and made a big impact on our students. Thank you to the PTC for funding the event at the high school!

• April 1 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/1/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  We hope that all who celebrate had a wonderful ​​Nowrúz and Khordad Sal.

  March 31st was Cesar Chavez day, which honors his legacy and contributions.

  March 31st was Trans Day of Visibility, which celebrates the accomplishments of  transgender and non genderconforming people, while also acknowledging the continued struggle for rights and justice.

  April is Arab American Heritage Month. See below for details about how to honor this month.

  April is Genocide Awareness month. The purpose of the month is to honor the victims and survivors of mass genocides.

  April 3rd – May 2nd is Ramadan. We hope that all who observe have a meaningful fast. 

  Happy Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday to our Christian community.

  We wish our Hindu community a lovely Rama Navami.

  Happy Vaisakhi to our Sikh community.

  April is Arab American Heritage Month

  Here are some resources and events where you can celebrate and learn about Arab American heritage and history:

  26 Books for Kids About the Arab World is a compilation of picture books, books for middle readers, and books for young adults. 

  Check out the Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon for information about upcoming community events.

  Arab American Heritage Month Slideshow is a resource I developed for teachers and students.  It has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School.

  Arab American Foundation has created a comprehensive slideshow of information and historical background for educators and community members.

  Travel Portland has assembled a list of delicious Middle Eastern Eateries.

  Read the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners 2021 recognition of Arab American Heritage Month.

  - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

March 18 Equity & Inclusion Corner

Posted by Abby Rotwein on 3/18/2022

Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  Happy Purim to our Jewish community. We hope that all who celebrated had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. Happy Holi to our Hindu community. We wish our Sikh community a lovely Hola Mohalla. March 21st is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.   Respond to Racism LO Respond to Racism is a local, community-led organization whose mission is: “To educate and empower Lake Oswego residents and institutions with the tools to combat racism in all its forms and make LO — and Oregon — a better place to live for residents of all races and ethnicities.”   They hold monthly meetings and events. Information can be found at their website: Respond to Racism. Their next community meeting is taking place on April 11th and will feature Serena Yang, NYC Youth Poet Laureate and National Youth Poet Laureate finalist.

Upcoming Middle School and High School Assemblies with Karen Gaffney I am overjoyed to share that we have an incredible guest speaker coming to Riverdale Middle School on Friday, April 8th and Riverdale High School on Friday, April 15th. Her name is Karen Gaffney, and her bio is below:

KAREN’S STORY Karen has been a life long advocate, role model and standard bearer that proclaims DOWN SYNDROME IS A LIFE MEANT TO BE LIVED! And, as she often says, DOWN SYNDROME IS A LIFE MEANT TO BE SAVED! Karen graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon and earned a two-year Associates of Science degree from Portland Community College. She successfully swam the English Channel as part of a six-person relay team. She also swam 9 miles, non stop straight across the width of Lake Tahoe, in 59-degree water to raise money for the National Down Syndrome Congress and to show the world that people with Down Syndrome are more alike, rather than different, from everyone else. She has countless open water swims on her athletic resume, including swimming 8 miles across Lake Champlain for the North County Down Syndrome Association and 5 miles from Molokini to Wailea Beach in Maui for Best Buddies of Hawai’i. Karen travels the country speaking to a wide range of audiences about overcoming limitations and about what can be accomplished with positive expectations. Karen tackles any challenge she faces with determination and commitment, knowing she has limits, but not allowing them to limit her drive to succeed.

You can learn more about Karen at her website, Karen Gaffney Foundation. I encourage you to check out her TEDxPortland talk and the video of her swimming across Lake Tahoe. The links are below: Crossing Tahoe, A Swimmer's Dream I have one more chromosome than you. So what? | Karen Gaffney | TEDxPortland    A big thank you to the PTC for providing us with funds for this special event!! -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• March 4 Equity and Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 3/4/2022

  Equity and Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  March is National Women’s History Month. The purpose of this month is to celebrate and educate about the many achievements of women - politically, socially, and economically. See below for more information about this month.

  We hope that our Western Christian community has a meaningful Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

  We wish a restorative fast to our Bahá’í community during their Nineteen - Day Fast.

  We hope that our Eastern Christian community has a good Clean Monday.

  March 8th is International Women’s Day.

  March is Women’s History Month

  Here are some resources and events where you can celebrate and learn about women’s history:

  100 Years of Women’s Voting Rights is a film from Twin Cities PBS that is free to stream on YouTube.

  The Library of Congress is hosting a number of virtual events and roundtable discussions over the course of this month.

  Women’s History Month Resources is a compilation of information from History.com with links to films, articles, and background information.

  Women’s History Month Slideshow is a resource I developed for teachers and students. It has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School.

  From Multnomah Education Service District: 

  Supporting Students Around the Topic of Crisis in Ukraine and Russia

  Our students want and need to talk about what they see, remember, and are feeling now; they need the guidance and safety of adults in their home and in their schools to be able to navigate their own emotions and trauma in a healthy, safe, and productive way.

  For All Ages

  • Helping Your Students Cope With a Violent World: Edutopia article features strategies for helping children make sense with historical perspective, feel empowered, and inspire them to feel hopeful.
  • How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.
  • Talking to Your Kids About War: VeryWell Family explores ways families can speak with young people about war, including tips on sharing information and restricting media coverage.

  For Elementary/Middle School Students

  • Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience.
  • Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: The American Psychological Association breaks out tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children.

  Trauma-Informed Resources for School Systems

  The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides resources that can be filtered by topic or keyword and by audience with a focus on how adults can identify traumatic responses in young people and how to support them. Talking to Children about War and Terrorism provides parents and caregivers with information about how to talk to children about war and terrorism. 

  Trauma-Informed Approach to Support Grieving Students (book)

  Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education (book)

  Additional Considerations:

  ODE Mental Health Guidance and Resources

  Mental Health Toolkit

  A resource for school-based mental health professionals, school counselors, staff and administrators.

  Multnomah County School-Based Mental Health

  The Prevention Institute:

  Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience - A Framework for Addressing and Preventing Community Trauma 

  Oakland Unified School District 

  Restorative Justice implementation guide A Whole School Approach:

  Support for your school to create an implementation plan to introduce school-wide restorative practices.

  Culturally Responsive Community Based Organizations:

  Lutheran Community Services Northwest

  Multicultural Counseling Services

  (Early Intervention, Clinical Treatment; Community Wellness and Healing; Community Partnerships and Advocacy)

  Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization

  Slavic and Eastern European Center (SEEC) 

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Feb 18 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 2/18/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  We hope that our Buddhist community had a celebratory Magha Puja. 

  February 20th is the World Day of Social Justice. The purpose of this day is to promote social development and human rights worldwide. 

  February 21st is Presidents Day, which honors all U.S. Presidents, past and present. 

  To our Bahá’í community, we hope you have a meaningful Ayyám-i-ha.

  Happy Maha Shivarati to our Hindu community. 

  No Place for Hate at Riverdale High School

  No Place for Hate is a student-led program at RHS in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League. The program helps students shift school culture by focusing on the topics of bullying, bias, equity, and inclusion. 

  At RHS, we have 17 students in the group and three staff leaders: Abby Rotwein, Jack Marvin, and David Thompson. Students in the group have completed 12 hours of formal training and meet after school each week for two hours to learn and plan events that will positively impact our school culture. It is a big commitment, and we are proud of the students for their hard work and dedication. 

  This week, No Place for Hate students led a training for high school staff on the topics of identity and microaggressions. Over the course of the month of March, No Place for Hate students will teach similar content to all students at the high school during three advisory sessions. It is not easy to stand in front of your peers and discuss these challenging topics - we appreciate the leadership and bravery of these young people.

  - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Equity & Inclusion Corner 

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 2/4/2022

  Equity & Inclusion Corner 

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  February 1st was National Freedom Day, which celebrates the abolition of slavery with the passage of the 13th Amendment.

  We hope that all who celebrate had a wonderful Lunar New Year.

  Happy Valentine’s Day to those who observe the holiday.

  We hope that our Buddhist community has a meaningful Nirvana Day and Magha Puja.

  February 15th is Susan B. Anthony Day, which celebrates her birth and leadership in the women’s suffrage movement.

  Holocaust Remembrance Day

  A big thank you to the Jewish Student Union and special guest Yaffa Nemer for our assembly at the high school on January 27th!

  February is Black History Month

  Here are some resources and events where you can celebrate and learn about Black history:

  Books by Black Authors for Ages 1-18 is a great compilation of books from the Conscious Kid. When you click on an image of a book, it gives you a summary and age level.

  Black History Month Slideshow is a resource I developed for teachers and students. It has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School.

  Black is Beautiful is an article written by local educator Kara Hinderlie sharing how she talks about race in her kindergarten classroom. 

  Oregon Black Pioneers (30 minutes) and Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev’ry Voice (1 hour 22 minutes) are two outstanding documentaries created by Oregon Public Broadcasting that tell stories of Black history in our state.

  PDX Jazz Festival features Grammy winning artists and takes place from February 17th-26th.

  Respond to Racism LO is an organization whose mission is, “To educate and empower Lake Oswego residents and institutions with the tools to combat racism in all its forms and make LO — and Oregon — a better place to live for residents of all races and ethnicities.” Check out their website for a number of events they are hosting this month.

  Support Black-Owned Restaurants - Bookmark this page for a huge list of Black-owned restaurants to support this month and year-round.  

  Thurgood is a play showing this month at the Portland Playhouse about the Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall. 

  - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 1/7/2022

  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

  January 17th is a federal holiday that honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

  While many of us know his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech, I encourage you to take some time on this holiday to learn more about his broader work. For example, have you read/viewed his speech “The Other America” or learned about the “Poor People’s Campaign?” Did you know that MLK’s views were considered radical in his lifetime, with two-thirds of Americans viewing him unfavorably in the years before his death? Let’s honor his legacy by moving past popular quotes and towards a deeper understanding of his dream.

  MLK day is unique in that the intention of the holiday is not a “day off,” but rather, a “day on.” The purpose of the day is service, learning, and community. There are many volunteer and celebratory events happening in the Portland Metro Area. View the list here. 

  Volunteer with SOLVE - Street Clean Up

  SOLVE is hosting 4 different clean up projects on Monday, January 17th. Pre-registration is required, please click the link to sign up for an event at one of the locations below:

  Waterfront Park at the Burnside Bridge 

  The Benson Hotel 

  The Standard 

  Central Eastside Industrial District

  Volunteer with Blanchet House - Care Kits

  Blanchet House is recommending making care kits: 

  Honor the life and service of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the upcoming holiday by making care kits for the houseless. Bags containing essential items like rain ponchos, hand warmers, socks, and snacks are given out daily to our guests. These kits are so appreciated!

  Instructions at BlanchetHouse.org/care-kits.

  Volunteer with Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership - Tree Planting

  Plant trees and shrubs to restore native habitat and improve water quality of Burnt Bridge Creek!  

  Pre-registration is required and space is limited. All ages and abilities are welcome!

  Sign up here on eventbrite. 

  Volunteer with Surfrider PDX - Street Clean Up

  To honor the spirit and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., join Surfrider Foundation Portland Chapter and the City of Portland for a fourth year in a row (minus 2021), in serving the community and the environment on this National Day of Service. Come volunteer with us and clean up MLK Blvd on Monday January 17, from 10am-12pm.

  Read details here.

  The Skanner Foundation 36th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

  Monday, January 17, 2022 at 9:00AM (Online Event)

  The Skanner Foundation again invites the community to share breakfast and celebrate the life, work, and vision of civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. with its 36th annual celebration the morning of Jan. 17, 2022.

  In past years, the breakfast has hosted more than a thousand attendees, often including the governor and both state and U.S. senators and representatives. Out of caution for yet another forecasted surge in the pandemic, the foundation has elected to hold its celebration on a virtual platform for a second year.

  For more information, or to purchase a table or make a donation, visit the Skanner web site.

  Monday, January 17, 2022 at 3:00PM at the Hollywood Theatre

  This historical film documents African-American communities in Oregon honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since 1978, World Arts Foundation, Inc. (WAFI) has hosted an annual MLK tribute event. With King’s work as a guide, KEEP ALIVE THE DREAM highlights pioneering activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth whose valiant efforts have left lasting impacts in Oregon’s African-American community.

  In addition to the film, the program will feature live music and a Q & A with community members.

  Admission is free but a ticket needs to be claimed for entry: https://hollywoodtheatre.org/events/keep-alive-the-dream/

  World Arts Foundation Inc. presents KEEP ALIVE THE DREAM

  Monday, January 17, 2022 at 3:00PM at the Hollywood Theatre

  This historical film documents African-American communities in Oregon honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since 1978, World Arts Foundation, Inc. (WAFI) has hosted an annual MLK tribute event. With King’s work as a guide, KEEP ALIVE THE DREAM highlights pioneering activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth whose valiant efforts have left lasting impacts in Oregon’s African-American community.

  In addition to the film, the program will feature live music and a Q & A with community members.

  Admission is free but a ticket needs to be claimed for entry: https://hollywoodtheatre.org/events/keep-alive-the-dream/

  United Way of King County's Advancing Racial Equity: A Conversation with Clint Smith

  Wednesday, January 19, 2022

  6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PST (Online Event)

  Listen and learn from educator, poet, and New York Times bestselling author, Clint Smith and then participate in a discussion with local experts specializing in African American history in our area. 

  Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.

  Please join us to listen, learn and be in community with one another. More information, including tickets are available here.

• Dec. 17 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 12/17/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  December 21st is the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year.

  Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.

  Kwanzaa is from December 26th to January 1st. We hope those who celebrate have a wonderful holiday.   

  December 29th is Wounded Knee Day. The purpose of this day is to remember the more than 300 Lakota Sioux adults and children who were massacred by the U.S. Army in 1890. Learn more from National Geographic.

  Happy New Year to all. See you in 2022.

  Riverdale Grade School Food Drive - 3,001 Pounds of Food Collected!!

  Thank you to all who contributed to our food drive and made it such a whopping success! We collected a school-wide total of 3,787 items! Congratulations to 4th grade and 8th grade for collecting the most items.

  On a rainy Saturday morning, 8th Grade Leadership students and caregivers transported items into cars, to LiftUp Portland, and into their warehouse. After weighing the items in at 3,001 pounds, we sorted all the foods into categories.  It was hard work but well worth it! We learned more about LiftUp Portland’s work and process for distributing food.

  A big “well done” to 8th Grade Leadership for their great work, and thanks to the whole community for helping to feed those in need! 

• Dec. 10 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 12/10/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  December 3rd was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The purpose of this day is to build awareness of and promote equality for people with disabilities. Learn more here. Happy Bohdi Day to our Buddhist community.   December 10th is Human Rights Day, which commemorates the day the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  We hope those who celebrate have a wonderful Our Lady of Guadalupe Day. 8th Grade Leadership Facilitated Food Drive The 8th Grade Leadership Team has been working hard to organize our Grade School Spirit Week and Food Drive. A whopping 650 food items were donated on Monday, the first day of the Food Drive! As of Tuesday, 4th grade was leading in items collected with a total of 528 items! We are so proud of all the 8th grade leaders who chose this project as their first school-wide activity. Thank you to the whole community for your generous donations.   This weekend, students will be taking all of the contributions to the Lift Up Portland warehouse. We will keep you updated as to how many items we collect altogether!

  PDX TransParent PDX TransParent offers virtual monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  Any Portland-area caregiver in need of support as they love and care for their trans child(ren) are welcome to attend. Second Portland Chapter Meeting Tuesday, December 14, 2021  6:30-8:30 p.m. Virtual meeting, by invitation only.  In order to receive the Zoom link invitation, please fill out this Intake Form. Email portland.or@transparentusa.org for more information. - Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Nov. 19 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 11/19/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner Holidays and Celebrations  To our Sikh community, we hope you enjoy celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. November 20th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This day remembers those who have been killed for being transgender or gender non-conforming. 2021 has been the deadliest year on record. Read the Human Right Campaign’s report to learn more. At Riverdale High School, our Trans Student Union and Gender & Sexuality Alliance made the poster below:

  To our Bahá’í community, we hope you have a lovely Day of the Covenant. November 25 is Thanksgiving Day. The Wampanoag tribe helped Pilgrims survive.  Hear more about their story and perspective in this article from the Washington Post. To our Christian community, we hope you have a joyful Advent over the course of the next month. Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish community. Hanukkah takes place this year from November 29th to December 6th. December 1st is World Aids Day. The purpose of this day is to unite in the fight against Aids and HIV and commemorate those who have died.

  REMINDER Community Affinity Sessions Last spring, we held listening sessions for community members from historically marginalized groups. We will be holding our second session for these groups in the coming weeks. You are welcome to join even if you did not participate in a previous session. All of these meetings will be held virtually. These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students. Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromantic, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, December 1st, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here. Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Wednesday, December 8th, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here. -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Nov. 5 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 11/5/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  To our Bahá’í community, we hope you enjoy celebrating Birth of the Báb and Birth of of Bahá’u’lláh.

  November 9th and 10th commemorates Kristallnacht, “Night of Broken Glass.”  On that night in 1938 Jews throughout Germany and Vienna were attacked and killed. Their homes, schools, and businesses were vandalized.

  Happy Veterans Day to those who served in or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  We appreciate your sacrifice and service.  

  November 15th -19th is American Education Week. Thank you to all staff in the Riverdale School District for the many things you do for our community.  

  November 16 is the International Day for Tolerance. Learn more about this day here: United Nations International Day for Tolerance.

  Community Affinity Sessions

  Last spring, we held listening sessions for community members from historically marginalized groups. We will be holding our second session for these groups in the coming weeks. You are welcome to join even if you did not participate in a previous session. All of these meetings will be held virtually.

  These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students.

  Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color:

  This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latina/Latino, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Wednesday, November 17th, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here.

  Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+:

  This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromantic, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Wednesday, December 1st, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here.

  Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability:

  This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Wednesday, December 8th, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here.

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Oct. 29 Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 10/29/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  November is National American Indian Heritage Month. See below for details about how to learn and honor this month.

  November is National Adoption month, which is a time to learn about adoption and celebrate adoption practices.

  We hope that our Christian community has a lovely All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

  We hope that our Mexican community has a wonderful Dia de Los Muertos.

  Happy Bandi-CChor Diwas to our Sikh community.

  Happy Diwali to our Hindu community.

  November is National American Indian Heritage Month

  Here are some resources and events where you can celebrate and learn about Native American Heritage:

  Broken Treaties, an Oregon Experience is a one-hour documentary about the experience of Native Americans in this region.  It is free to stream on the OPB website.

  Gather, a documentary about Indigenous food sovereignty, is streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes starting on November 1st. 

  Kids and Teens Books by Indigenous Authors and Writers from Seattle Public Library is a great compilation of booklists for children and young adults.

  Native American Indian Heritage Month website has virtual exhibitions, collections, audio, video, and images where you can learn more about this community.

  Native American Heritage Month Slideshow is a resource for students I developed with equity staff in the Corvallis School District. This has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School.

  Venture Portland has a list of local Native American owned businesses you can check out this month and patronize in the future.

  Oregon Senate Bill 13: Tribal History/Shared History

  From the Oregon Department of Education: “In 2017, the Oregon Legislature enacted Senate Bill (SB) 13, now known as Tribal History/Shared History. This law directs the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to create K-12 Native American Curriculum for inclusion in Oregon public schools and provide professional development to educators. The law also directs the ODE to provide funds to each of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon to create individual place-based curriculum.”

  For the 2021-22 school year, all public schools are required to implement the Tribal History/Shared curriculum developed by the ODE in 4th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade.  Please go to this link to learn more and view lesson plans: Tribal History/Shared History.

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Equity & Inclusion and Restorative Justice at Riverdale School District

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 10/11/2021

  Equity & Inclusion and Restorative Justice at Riverdale School District

• Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th- October 15th

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 10/8/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  October 11th is Coming Out Day, which celebrates LGBTQIA2S+ people being open about their identity.

  October 11th is also Indigenous People’s Day, which has been a state holiday in Oregon since 2017. Some states refer to it as Columbus Day. Learn more about the conversation about the holiday in this article.

  October 13th is National Stop Bullying Day.

  To our Hindu community, we hope you have a lovely Dussehra/Dassera.

  October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.  

  To our Muslim community, we hope you have a celebratory Mawlid Al-Nabi/Milad Al-Nabi. 

  Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th- October 15th

  As Hispanic Heritage comes to a close, I wanted to share some resources/events where you can celebrate and learn about Hispanic Heritage.

  Hispanic Heritage Booklist is a great compilation of booklists for children and young adults.

  Hispanic Heritage Month Slideshow is a resource for students I developed with equity staff in the Corvallis School District. This has been shared in K-8 classrooms at Riverdale Grade School.

  Latino Network is a Portland based organization that holds events and celebrates Latino/Latina/Latine/Hispanic Heritage year-round.

  Moles and Stews Festival at Portland Mercado is happening this Saturday, October 9th. Head out to SE Foster for some delicious food!

  National Hispanic Heritage Month Website has virtual exhibitions, collections, audio, video, and images where you can learn more about this community.

  In the Mood to Include - a monthly opportunity for community learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion

  We had a great first session in September! I will be repeating the same content for our second session in October for those who missed the previous one.

  Our second session: Wednesday, October 20th, from 5-6:30 p.m.  

  The topic: Language Around Race

  Session summary: Language is always evolving. Words that may be commonly used at one point in time may be considered a slur at another point in time. It is important to keep up on language so that we are not causing unintentional harm. In this session, you will learn contemporary language around race, such as: what acronyms mean, what words to use when, and how to use person-first language.  

  Who: This content of this session is appropriate for all adults and for students who are in 3rd grade and up.

  How to join: Register here to receive the Google Meet link

  Youth4Youth iSummit October 14th & 15th

  LookUp is a “by youth for youth” 501(c)(3) social venture dedicated to helping young people thrive in the digital world. They are holding a virtual summit on October 14th and 15th (when students are out of school due to conferences) for young people and adults to hear from speakers and discuss our current digital culture. 

  Learn more and sign up here.

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• In the Mood to Include First Session

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/24/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner 

  Holidays and Celebrations

   

  Happy Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah  to our Jewish community.

  October is National Bullying Prevention Month, National Disability Awareness Month, and LGBTQIA2S+ History Month. This is a great time to learn more about how to prevent bullying and learn more about disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+ history.

  October 2nd is the International Day of Nonviolence, which honors the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and his legacy of nonviolent protest.

  To our Hindu community, we hope you have a lovely Navaratri.

   

  In the Mood to Include - a monthly opportunity for community learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion

   

  This year I will be hosting monthly sessions for community members to learn more about various diversity, equity and inclusion topics. Due to COVID-19, these sessions will be held virtually, but I hope to hold them in person at some point in the future.  

  Our first session: Wednesday, September 29th, from 5-6:30 p.m.  

  The topic: Language Around Race

  Session summary: Language is always evolving. Words that may be commonly used at one point in time may be considered a slur at another point in time. It is important to keep up on language so that we are not causing unintentional harm. In this session, you will learn contemporary language around race, such as: what acronyms mean, what words to use when, and how to use person-first language.  

  Who: This content of this session is appropriate for all adults and for students who are in 3rd grade and up.

  How to join: Register here to receive the Google Meet link.

  Moving forward, Equity and Inclusion Corner will be featured in the Riverdale School District Newsletter every other week.

   

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Equity & Inclusion Corner is back!

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 9/10/2021

  Equity & Inclusion Corner 

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  To our Hindu community, we hope you have a wonderful Ganesh Chaturthi.

  September 15th - October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. This is a great time to learn about and honor the contributions of those whose ancestors came from the Caribbean, Central American, South America, and Spain.

  We hope our Jewish community has a reflective Yom Kippur and fast.

  In the Mood to Include - a monthly opportunity for community learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion

  I am excited to share that this year I will be hosting monthly sessions for community members to learn more about various diversity, equity and inclusion topics. Due to COVID-19, these sessions will be held virtually, but I hope to hold them in person at some point in the future.  

  Our first session: Wednesday, September 29th, from 5-6:30 p.m. 

  The topic: Language Around Race

  Session summary: Language is always evolving. Words that may be commonly used at one point in time may be considered a slur at another point in time. It is important to keep up on language so that we are not causing unintentional harm. In this session, you will learn contemporary language around race, such as: what acronyms mean, what words to use when, and how to use person-first language.  

  Who: This content of this session is appropriate for all adults and for students who are in 3rd grade and up.

  How to join: I will share the meeting link in an upcoming newsletter.

  Cyberbullying Seminar from Fairplay 

  ​​What is cyberbullying, really? Is it dangerous? How does it affect our kids? Check out this must-attend Action Network Live! event featuring Diana Graber of CyberWise and Lisa Honold of the Center for Online Safety! Get answers to your questions, plus learn how cyberbullying happens, how it impacts our kids, and how we can put a stop to it. If you have kids in your personal or professional life, you don’t want to miss it! Tuesday, September 21 at 7 PM ET, 4 PM PT. Register today: bit.ly/stnevents

  -Abby Rotwein (she/her), Director of Equity & Inclusion

• Pride Month and More - June 11

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 6/11/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  June 12th is Loving Day, which celebrates the Supreme Court’s ruling in Loving vs. Virginia. The court ruled that miscegenation laws (laws which forbade interracial marriage) were illegal. 

   

  June 19th is Juneteenth, which celebrates the day the state of Texas abolished enslavement. It has become a holiday that honors the freedom and achievements of Black Americans. 

  Pride Month

  June is Pride Month, a month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ identity. On June 28th, 1969, the Stonewall uprising took place in New York City, which is considered the start of the modern movement for gay rights. On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. This month is a great time to learn more about this history and LGBTQIA+ identity. I have shared some resources and events below.

  • Learn more about Stonewall Then and Now from the Harvard Gazette.
  • Read A Guide to Gender Identity Terms from NPR. 
  • Make sure you are using contemporary, respectful language by diving into this Glossary of Terms from GLAAD.
  • Check out the Q Center on N. Mississippi Ave and their program of events.
  • Support the TransActive Gender Project (based at Lewis and Clark Graduate School) at their event this weekend: Designer & Vintage Pop-Up Shop, Friday-Sunday, June 11th-13th, 12-6 p.m. Located at 424 NW 12th St. in downtown Portland. Brands up for grabs include Chanel, Gucci, DVF, Marc Jacobs, D&G, Chloe, Celine, and fashions from the 1950s-90s!

  Summer

  I hope you all have a lovely summer! Congratulations on making it through a uniquely challenging school year. I will leave you with some words from the artist Nas, “read more, learn more, change the globe.”

   

• Summer Learning Resources for Teens & Adults

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 6/4/2021

   

  It is hard to believe there is only one week left in the school year! One of my favorite things about summer is heading to the park or the beach with an iced coffee and a new book or podcast.

  Rudine Sims Bishop is a renowned professor, writer, inductee in the Reading Hall of Fame, and winner of the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. In her seminal article, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, she wrote that books “are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.” 

  I try to diversify my book, film, and podcast choices so that I learn about a wide range of human experiences, viewpoints, and time periods. There are a number of outstanding resource guides out there that I use to find new content.  

  The Anti-Racism Resource Guide is my favorite. The guide is a 30-page collection of book, film, article, and podcast suggestions. It includes the categories: Suggested Pre-Reading, Starting Your Journey, Continuing the Journey, Memoirs, Essays, Fiction, Children’s Literature, Parenting, Asian and Pacific Islander Studies, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, Indigenous Studies, Black Studies, Health and Medicine, Land and Housing, Teaching, Immigration, Mass Incarceration, White Studies, Health and Restoration, For the Church, Movies and Clips, Other Resource Lists, Podcasts, and Folx to Follow.

  Happy learning!

  - Abby Rotwein 

  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12

  Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Asian American Heritage Month & Jewish American Heritage Month - May 27

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/27/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations  

  To our Eastern Christian community, Happy All Saints’ Day.

  Thank you to all veterans and active servicepeople. We honor you this Memorial Day.

  June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Happy Pride to our LGBTQ+ community. 

  Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month & Jewish American Heritage Month

  As the month of May comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to share some locations in the Portland Metropolitan Area where you can learn more about local Asian American and Pacific Islander History and local Jewish American History. Some of these are physically closed due to Covid restrictions but plan to open soon, while others are taking advance reservations. For now, their websites are a great place to learn!

  Japanese American Historical Plaza

  • Location: Tom McCall Waterfront Park between the N Steel Bridge and the Burnside Bridge
  • Open at any time because it is outside in the park

  Japanese American Museum of Oregon (formerly the Nikkei Legacy Center): 

  • Location: 411 NW Flanders St
  • Opens on June 14th to the general public with advance reservations

  Lan Su Chinese Garden

  • Location: NW Everett St
  • Open now with advance reservations

  Mittleman Jewish Community Center

  • Location: SW Capitol Highway
  • Currently open 

  Oregon Holocaust Memorial

  • Location: Washington Park, SW Washington Way and Wright Ave
  • Open at any time because it is outside in the park

  Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education

  • Location: NW Davis St
  • Currently closed

  Portland Art Museum, Asian Art Collection

  • Location: SW Park Ave
  • Open now with advance reservations

  Portland Chinatown Museum

  • Location: NW 3rd Ave
  • Currently closed

  Portland Japanese Garden

  • Location: SW Kingston Ave
  • Open now with advance reservations

  - Abby Rotwein 

  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12

  Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Guest Speaker: Holocaust Survivor, Evelyn Banko - May 21

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/21/2021

  Equity and Inclusion Corner 

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  To our Bahá’í community, have a wonderful Declaration of the Báb and Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.

  To our Christian community, have a lovely Pentecost Sunday/Whitsunday.

  To our Buddhist community, have a festive Vesak/Buddha Day.

  Guest Speaker: Holocaust Survivor, Evelyn Banko

  Next Friday, May 28th, from 11 AM- 12 PM, we will be having a guest speaker virtually joining us from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. Evelyn Banko was a young child when her home city, Vienna, was seized by Nazi Germany. She and her family had to flee after they were warned about their impending deportation to a concentration camp. They lived in a number of places throughout the next few years as they struggled to find a safe community. She will be speaking with us about her life experiences and recollections from that time. Learn more about her background here.

  You can join us at the following webinar link.

  A big thank you to one of our high school counselors, Lisa Stiller, for organizing this event!

  “A Community Call to Confront Hate” Event

  A number of local and national organizations are hosting a free, virtual community event on Wednesday, May 26th, from 9 AM to 1 PM. The details below are from the event flier:

  In this time of national and local reckoning with our country and state’s grim legacy of discrimination and hate, we have come together as a broad coalition of partner organizations and allies to create a virtual summit. A Community Call to Confront Hate is the culmination of a collaborative effort by several local area organizations that previously presented webinars on the history of discrimination and bigotry in Oregon.

  We have witnessed a groundswell of people ready to stand in solidarity with those who are targets of discrimination and bigotry—people who are eager to listen, to learn, and to take action to make the Pacific Northwest a place that truly protects the lives, well-being, and dignity of all who live here. Participants will learn about implicit bias and have the opportunity to learn from breakout sessions that will deal with current issues around racism, antisemitism and other forms of hate. Most importantly, presenters will share their expertise on the strategies, resources and tools to help participants translate their commitment to social justice and equity into effective social action.

  To learn more about the schedule and the presenters click HERE. To register, click HERE.

  - Abby Rotwein 

  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12

  Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• “A Community Call to Confront Hate” Event & More - May 14

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/14/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations  To our Jewish community, Happy Shavuot. “A Community Call to Confront Hate” Event A number of local and national organizations are hosting a free, virtual community event on Wednesday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The details below are from the event flier: In this time of national and local reckoning with our country and state’s grim legacy of discrimination and hate, we have come together as a broad coalition of partner organizations and allies to create a virtual summit. A Community Call to Confront Hate is the culmination of a collaborative effort by several local area organizations that previously presented webinars on the history of discrimination and bigotry in Oregon. We have witnessed a groundswell of people ready to stand in solidarity with those who are targets of discrimination and bigotry—people who are eager to listen, to learn, and to take action to make the Pacific Northwest a place that truly protects the lives, well-being, and dignity of all who live here. Participants will learn about implicit bias and have the opportunity to learn from breakout sessions that will deal with current issues around racism, antisemitism and other forms of hate. Most importantly, presenters will share their expertise on the strategies, resources and tools to help participants translate their commitment to social justice and equity into effective social action. To learn more about the schedule and the presenters click HERE. To register, click HERE.

  Reminder About Caregiver Listening Sessions  The district has taken a number of steps in the last year to help make our schools more equitable and inclusive. Toward that end, we will be holding one more listening sessions to hear from community members and caregivers of students who are part of historically marginalized communities. The purpose of these sessions is to hear about experiences and listen to ways that we can be more supportive to our marginalized students. All of these meetings will be held virtually. These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students.   Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability:   This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Thursday, May 20, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up here. - Abby Rotwein  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12 Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education's Sala Kryszek Art and Writing competition - May 7

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 5/7/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations  Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate. We recognize that it can be a hard day for many: for those who have lost children, for those who have lost mothers, for those who have a strained relationship with their mother, for mothers with strained relationships with their children, and for those yearning to be mothers. We include you all and honor you all. To our Muslim community, we hope you have a wonderful Eid Al-Fitr to celebrate the breaking of the fast and the end of Ramadan.   Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education's Sala Kryszek Art and Writing competition From Carrington Light, Riverdale Grade School, 7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts: Since 2016, Riverdale Grade School students in 7th and 8th grade have participated in the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education's Sala Kryszek Art and Writing competition. This year's prompt asked students to demonstrate how laws led to the discrimination against and persecution and genocide of Jewish people. Students were also asked to reflect on the importance of civic responsibility and engagement. Each year, at least one Riverdale student has been recognized for their powerful messages surrounding the importance of Holocaust history through both art and writing submissions. This is the first year (2021) that Riverdale Grade School is home to a Grand Prize winner. Grand Prize winners are chosen from grades 6-12 entries and represent the top submissions, which are chosen by a panel of judges. Sy J., 7th grader, is Riverdale's first Grand Prize winner for writing. Sy will be asked to speak at this year's awards ceremony. The family of Sala Kryszek will send Sy, a caretaker, and her teacher to Washington, DC for a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Sy's empathy and understanding of Jewish history are evidenced in her work. We had a number of other students honored with awards as well: Martin G. earned second place for writing and Stella G. finished third place for writing. We also have four 7/8 students to celebrate for their OJMCHE Holocaust art submissions: Clarice C. earned firt place, Christina W. earned third place and Isabella M. and Kendra M. both earned honorable mention. I am extremely proud of all students' creativity and dedication to the museum's mission. This is truly incredible work by our students and we are grateful for Carrington Light’s teaching and guidance. Here is Sy’s poem, shared with her consent and the consent of her parents: Blameless Bystander.

  Reminder About Caregiver Listening Sessions  The district has taken a number of steps in the last year to help make our schools more equitable and inclusive. Toward that end, we will be holding two more listening sessions to hear from community members and caregivers of students who are part of historically marginalized communities. The purpose of these sessions is to hear about experiences and listen to ways that we can be more supportive to our marginalized students. All of these meetings will be held virtually. These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students.   Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+:   This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromatice, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Thursday, May 13, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up to participate here.    Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability:   This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Thursday, May 20, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up here. - Abby Rotwein  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12 Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• What actually is Equity & Inclusion? Why is it important in schools?

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/30/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations  May is both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. This is a great time to celebrate the cultures and impacts that these communities have made on our country.   To our Mexican and Mexican American community, Happy Cinco de Mayo. To our Muslim community, we hope you have a lovely Laila Al-Qadr. Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate. We recognize that it can be a hard day for many: for those who have lost children, for those who have lost mothers, for those who have a strained relationship with their mother, for mothers with strained relationships with their children, and for those yearning to be mothers. We include you all and honor you all. What actually is Equity & Inclusion? Why is it important in schools? There are many misconceptions about what “equity & inclusion” is. Some people think it is divisive. Some people think it is only about race. Some people think it is a political agenda. Some people do not understand why we are talking about it and focusing on it in schools - shouldn’t school just be about academics? Equity at school means that all students are getting what they need to thrive - academically, socially, and emotionally. The graphic below shows the difference between equity and equality. Equality means everyone is treated the same. Equity means giving everyone what they need.

  Inclusion at school means that all students feel safe and supported when showing up as their full selves. This includes social-emotional support and education. The graphic below was shared with high school students this week and shows our hopes for inclusion at Riverdale:

  When students feel supported and included at school, they show up ready to learn.  There has been a significant amount of research about the positive impact of social-emotional support on student outcomes - including academic outcomes. Read more about that in this cumulative report from CASEL.   In our “Compassion and Inclusion” events at the High School this week, it was clear that many students in our community do not feel like their needs are being met or that they belong at school. We did flash polls with students and here are a few of the results:

  We hope that by having meaningful conversations and focusing on these topics as a staff and school district that we can start to shift our culture to be a positive place for all.   In addition to the above reasons to engage in this work, as a public school, this is legally required of us. In September 2018, Oregon adopted the “All Students Belong” state policy that outlines the aspects of equity and inclusion that are required in all school districts. Compared to many local schools, we are understaffed and behind in this work. Catlin Gabel currently has a Director of Inclusion and Outreach, an Assistant Director of Inclusion and Outreach, a Director of Place, and an Inclusion and Outreach Administrative Assistant. OES has a Director for Inclusion, an Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, a DEI Coach, and an Executive Assistant under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. PPS has three Racial Equity and Social Justice staff at the district level, as well as an Equity Team Leader in every single school site, five Restorative Justice Specialists at the district level, and full-time Restorative Justice coaches in every high school and in most middle schools. PPS also has partnerships with sixteen local organizations that offer students services around race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, ethnicity, and other aspects of identity, equity, and inclusion.  We are working hard to make this school district the best it can be for all of our students. Community Events: Riverdale High School Compassion & Inclusion Week This week was “Compassion and Inclusion Week” at the high school.   We had an incredible film and speaker panel on Tuesday that has been recorded for viewing by our wider community. Here is the link to the Upstanders online program. The case-sensitive login to access the link is: Login: riverdale@indieflix.com Password: riverdale The Q&A Panel can be found at the top of the "Additional Materials" section on the right. Subtitles are included and can be turned on/off on the video player progress bar where it says "CC."  Access to the film and panel link will end on Wednesday, May 5th, at 11:59pm PST. We were also fortunate to have two events with Dr. Sameer Hinduja - a student assembly on Monday and a caregiver event on Thursday evening. He is a great communicator and wanted me to share his contact information so that you are able to reach out to him at any time with questions. If you missed the Webinar with Dr. Sameer Hinduja about Addressing Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Unwise Social Media Use: The Role of Parents, Youth, and the Community, you can view it here. Here are some of the prompts he suggests using to start conversations with you children about social media and technology use:

  A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PTC FOR THEIR GENEROUS FUNDING OF OUR COMPASSION & INCLUSION WEEK EVENTS!!! Reminder About Caregiver Listening Sessions  The district has taken a number of steps in the last year to help make our schools more equitable and inclusive. Towards that end, we will be holding three listening sessions to hear from community members and caregivers of students who are part of historically marginalized communities. The purpose of these sessions is to hear about experiences and listen to ways that we can be more supportive to our marginalized students. All of these meetings will be held virtually. These sessions are only for caregivers, not for students. Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color: This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latinx, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories. Thursday, May 6, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up to participate here. Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+:  Thursday, May 13, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up to participate here.  Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: Thursday, May 20, 6-7 p.m., Sign-up coming soon. - Abby Rotwein  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12 Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Message from Colt Gill Director of the Oregon Department of Education & More - April 25

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/25/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations 

   

  We hope that our Buddhist community has a wonderful Theravada New Year on April 27th.

   

  April 26-30: Riverdale High School Compassion & Inclusion Week

   

  A separate email was sent earlier today to  the RHS community with the schedule and information for RHS Compassion and Inclusion week next week. A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PTC FOR THEIR GENEROUS FUNDING OF THESE EVENTS!!! Read for more information here.

   

  April 20 Message from Colt Gill Director of the Oregon Department of Education

   

  Read Colt Gill's important message to our Oregon education community regarding current events here.

• Riverdale High School Compassion & Inclusion Week & More - April 16

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/16/2021

  Holidays and Celebrations 

  To our Muslim community, Ramadan Muburak.  We hope you find this month of fasting and reflection meaningful and joyful.

  To our Sikh community, we hope you had a lovely celebration for Vaisakhi.

  To our Bahá’í community, we hope you have a wonderful 12-day Festival of Ridván.

  A Note About Daunte Wright

  It is hard for me to know what to say at this point. I have written so many of these notes, statements and comments in the last few years in my previous school district. Like many of you, I am grieving and in pain. The love of my life is a Black man, my godsons are young, Black teenagers and children. I am scared and sad.

  To our Black community and those who are grieving, you are not alone. We are committed to creating a culture where every Black student in the Riverdale School District is seen, heard and supported.

  We cannot remain neutral or silent about racism. 

  Riverdale High School Compassion & Inclusion Week, April 26th - April 30th

  The week of April 26th-30th will be “Compassion and Inclusion Week” at the high school. Over the course of this week, students will be hearing from speakers, watching films, and taking part in a number of activities in order to learn about cyber-bullying, safe online behavior, mindful social media use, and interrupting harmful behaviors.

  Two of these events will be open to community members and caregivers.

  On Tuesday, April 27th, students in grades 9-12 will virtually attend a screening of the film The Upstanders and a speaker panel with Scilla Andreen, Jenn Burleton and Jahmar Rutherford.

  The film and speaker panel will be available for community members to watch live from 9-11 AM on Tuesday, April 27th. Register here.

  If you are not able to join us live, a recording of the film and speaker panel will be available to community members until the evening of May 4th. We will send out the link to access that in our Riverdale High School News and Riverdale School District News on April 29th and 30th.

  From Indieflix Website:

  The Upstanders explores cyber-bullying, bullying among friends, families, co-workers and the brain science behind it all. The film highlights new laws and programs already reducing bullying in schools and shows us how we can learn to make a difference together to create systemic change. 

  This film was developed by the family of a high school student in Texas who committed suicide, so there is discussion of that content in the film. If you would like your child to opt out, please email Abby Rotwein at arotwein@riverdale.k12.or.us and CC your child’s advisory teacher. Read the biographies of the speakers here.

  On Thursday, April 29th, from 6:30-8 p.m., there will be a virtual event on GoToWebinar for community members and caregivers with Dr. Sameer Hinduja. The topic will be: Addressing Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Unwise Social Media Use: The Role of Parents, Youth, and the Community.

  This presentation seeks to share evolving best practices that can be proactively implemented in homes and families to curb technology misuse. Foundational information related to how kids use the Internet and their devices is first provided before examining cyberbullying, sexting, and unwise social media use in detail. Practical strategies for identification, prevention, and response are then discussed extensively in a conversational format to allow for input and Q&A from the audience.  Attendees will leave equipped with an increased ability to promote safe and responsible participation in cyberspace among the youth they care for, and with numerous resources to assist them toward those ends.

  To sign up to attend, please register here. 

  Read Dr. Hinduja’s biography here.

  We look forward to engaging in these events with the community and with our high school students.

  Reminder About Caregiver Listening Sessions 

  Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color: This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latinx, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Thursday, May 6, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up to participate here.

  Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+: 

  Thursday, May 13, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up coming soon.

  Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability:

  Thursday, May 20, 6-7 p.m. Sign-up coming soon.

  - Abby Rotwein 

  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12

  Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Why It’s Important to Talk to Your Children About Race - April 9

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/9/2021

  Why It’s Important to Talk to Your Children About Race Many people worry that by talking about race and racial stereotypes, we are teaching kids to notice differences that they otherwise would not have seen. In reality, children begin to notice racial differences when they are babies and are influenced as toddlers by the racial messaging they see in the world around them. Studies have shown that children start to form views about race when they are as young as two years old. Anderson Cooper did a 10-minute special, “Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture” on this topic and his conversations with kids show how quickly they internalize racial misconceptions. The graphic below shows this in more detail:

  When we do not talk to kids about race, we are allowing the stereotypes they absorb at a young age to be cemented. We must have conversations and be intentional about what we expose them to in order to prepare them for living in a diverse world.   Here are two articles I suggest reading in order to learn more about the topic and how to approach this in your own home: Read this article from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee: “Children are Not Colorblind, How Young Children Learn Race” Read this article from the University of California, Berkeley: “Five Ways to Reduce Racial Bias in Your Children” - Abby Rotwein  Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12 Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

• Listening Sessions and Holidays - April 2

  Posted by Abby Rotwein on 4/2/2021

  April 2, 2021

  The last few weeks have been a busy time for holidays and celebrations!

  To all who celebrated the New Year, Nowruz Mobarak.

  To our Jewish community, Chag Pesach Samech.

  To our Muslim community, we hope you had a lovely Mid-Sha’ban.

  To our transgender and nonbinary community, we see you and acknowledge the International Transgender Day of Visibilty.

  To all those celebrating Good Friday and Easter, we hope you have a wonderful holiday.

  Upcoming Community Listening Sessions

  In August, the Riverdale School Board shared a powerful Anti-Racism Resolution. The School Board is currently in the process of reviewing a number of important policies, including Riverdale School District Educational Equity Policy, Riverdale School District Bias Incident Policy and Riverdale School District All Students Belong Policy.  

  We firmly believe that all students are entitled to a high quality educational experience, free from discrimination or harassment based on actual or perceived: color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, linguistic diversity, nationality status, neurodiversity, national origin, race, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, size/body type or socioeconomic status.  

  The district has taken a number of steps in the last year to help make our schools more equitable and inclusive. Towards that end, we will be holding three listening sessions in the coming months to hear from community members and caregivers of students who are part of historically marginalized communities. The purpose of these sessions is to hear about experiences and listen to ways that we can be more supportive to our marginalized students. All of these meetings will be held virtually.

  Caregivers of Students of Color and Caregivers of Color: This meeting is for caregivers, parents, and guardians of students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, Latine/Latinx, multiracial or biracial. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Thursday, May 6, 6-7 p.m.

  Caregivers of LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Caregivers who are LGBTQIA2S+: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Aromatice, Pansexual, Non-binary or have their own label/non-label in regards to their gender or sexual identity. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Thursday, May 13, 6-7 p.m.

  Caregivers of Neurodiverse Students, Caregivers of Students with Disabilities, and Caregivers who are Neurodiverse or have a Disability: This meeting is for caregivers, parents and guardians of students who have Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ED, specific learning disabilities, physical disabilities, any other categories under IDEA or a combination of these. This meeting is also for caregivers, parents and guardians who are in any of the above categories.

  Thursday, May 20, 6-7 p.m.

  Please mark your calendars. Details about signing-up to participate in the sessions will be sent out in this newsletter in the coming weeks.  

First Equity and Inclusion Corner - March 19

Posted by Abby Rotwein on 3/19/2021

March 19, 2021

Equity and Inclusion Corner 

Hello Riverdale Community,

This is the first in a weekly installment of a new addition to our District News - Equity and Inclusion Corner. This is a place where you can read about current practices, find resources about diversity, equity, and inclusion topics and hear about what is happening in the district in relation to this work.

We have chosen this symbol to represent the Equity and Inclusion work we are doing in the Riverdale School District. The top arrow means growth and progress. The triangle is a version of the delta symbol, which means change, and is unclosed to represent openness.

"Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together." ~Jacqueline Woodson

I look forward to embarking on this journey with all of you.

- Abby Rotwein

Riverdale School District Equity and Inclusion Coordinator K-12

Restorative Justice Coach 9-12

 

Riverdale Statement on Anti-Asian American Hate Crimes

We are saddened and outraged to read about racially motivated and xenophobic hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. These are not isolated incidents and are part of a wave of Anti-Asian, Anti-Asian American and Anti-Pacific Islander rhetoric and harassment that has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSUSB released a study earlier this month that showed hate crimes against this population in the U.S. have increased 149% in the year 2020.  

We firmly believe that racism and hate have no place in our society, the Riverdale School District or our wider Riverdale community. We condemn all forms of discrimination.

We believe it is our duty to ensure that:

• Our schools and community are free of Anti-Asian violence and racism,

• Students are educated about inequality and are empowered to speak up in the face of injustice and

• There are resources to support students, faculty and staff members of the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander community directly impacted by racism incited by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

If you or your family are in need of support, please reach out to a teacher or counselor at your student’s school.

The Riverdale School District is committed to ensuring our schools create a safe, welcoming, inclusive culture and environment that reflects and supports the diversity of the student population, their families, district staff and our community.