DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

At P.S. 39, we are committed to a culture of inclusion, respect, social justice, and equity. We encourage all members of the community to explore topics and issues relating to diversity and inclusion. By doing so, we develop a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges we face as we are raising the next generation of socially responsible citizens.
Diversity & Inclusion Committee PS 39
​P.S. 39's Diversity & Inclusion Committee was created to engage the entire school community - parents, children, teachers and administrators - in promoting a culture of respect, social justice, equity and openness in our school community.   We are committed to engaging in this work with respect, curiosity, authenticity and vulnerability. We seek to build community and partnerships and maintain accountability to ourselves, our families and school in the process.  We welcome parents, teachers and administrators to join us!
​Committee ​Co-Chairs: 
Jenn LaBonge
Molly Solomon
Schele Williams Kleinberger
Join us at our Diversity and Inclusion Committee Meetings
Schedule TBA
​Download our latest newsletter!   

​ICYMI, you can still take a look at our Summer Engagement Kit.  Get the kit here!
Center for Racial Justice Parent Workshop :
Here are the materials from the first workshop in case you missed it. 
Children are Not Colorblind
Lens of Systemic Oppression
Parents Resource Guide
White Fragility - Robin DiAngelo
Community Events & Activities
In Conversation: Nikole Hanna Jones and Dr. Christina Greer: Monday, November 18th at Rosenthal Pavillion at NYU Kimmel Center

Race and Equity Workshop: Wednesday, November 20th, Tuesday, December 17th and January 15th 6:30 - 8:30 at Williamsburg North Side School 

NYCASID meeting: Thursday, November 21st at PS 44 Marcus Garvey Elementary School RSVP Here.

The Book of the Month Program
November's theme is Native American Heritage/Indigenous Peoples Month. The books can be bought from our Amazon Wish list. Also, remember to use the P.S. 39 Amazon Smile link for all your amazon purchases! ​​​
K & 1:
K / 1st: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
by Paul Goble
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Discussion Guide


 Julian Book Cover
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2 & 3: ​
Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story
by S.D. Nelson

Discussion Guide
Antonio Book Cover



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​4 & 5: ​
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Discussion Guide
We the Animals Book Cover
DIALOGUE & DRINKS
Monday, November 25 @ 7:30pm at Commonwealth.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
—One of the most revered novelists of our time
​—a brilliant chronicler of Native-American life—Louise Erdrich returns to the territory of her bestselling, Pulitzer Prize finalist The Plague of Doves with The Round House, transporting readers to the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.
RSVP to diversity@ps39.org ​
In the News: 
5/17/19: Black Girls Detail Harsh Consequences of Being Seen as OlderTthan Male White Peers
5/17/19: Why We Can't Afford to Leave Race Out of School Funding Conversations
2/27/19: Why Include Pronouns in Your Email Signature
2/26/19: Fashion Retailer Boden Sparks Fury with New Sexism Row
2/25/19:  Interview: Robin D' Angelo 
2/13/19: I'm Not here to Answer Your Black History month Questions
2/11/19: The Women Who Contributed to Science but Were Buried in the Footnotes
1/16/19: White People Assume Niceness is the Answer to Racial Inequality: It's not
1/9/19: When White People are Uncomfortable, Black People Are Silenced
11/29/18: America is Racist: So What Do We Do Now?
10/30: Every Vote Should Count: North Dakota ID Law Threatens Native Americans' Vote in Key Senate Race
10/25: I Was a Racist Teacher and I Didn't Even Know it
​10/24: Boy Talk: Breaking Masculine Stereotypes
​​10/15: The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action
09/30: White Progressive Parents and the Conundrum of Privilege
09/20: De Blasio Acts on School Integration but Others Lead Charge
09/16: White People are Still Raised to be Racially Illiterate
0912:  What Happened to Serena Williams at the U.S. Open Happens to Black Girls in School Every Day
09/10: Does Teacher Diversity Matter in Student Learning?
09/06: To The Non-Racist White People, Please Just Be The First
09/04: Caranza Is Ready To Approve An Integration Plan For Brooklyn Middle Schools
09/04: How Well-Intentioned White Families Can Perpetuate Racism
09/03: NYC's School Chancellor Is Talking About Integration. Can He Make It Happen?
8/29:  What is Privilege?
08/27: How to use Gender-Neutral Words
08/27: Why I Came Out As Being Poor
​08/24: Review:  "America To Me"
​08/23: De Blasio Is Stalled on School Integration, but Brooklyn Parents Have a Plan 
08/02:  Why White Liberals Are So Unwilling To Recognize Their Own Racism
07/01: When Children Say They Are Transgender
06/06: In a Twist, Low Score Would Earn Admission to Select Schools
​
Article Archive
​​
​​Follow Race/Related from the NY Times
​Follow Scary Mommy on Race
​Follow EmbraceRace
Follow Raising Race Conscious Children
PS39 WELCOME DINNER a Success! 
Over 350 members of the P.S. 39 community came together on Saturday, September 15th to welcome our children back to school and celebrate our families and our cultural diversity with favorite foods. Read more...

District 15 Diversity Plan Passes!
Read about efforts to diversity middle schools in our district here.

From the DOE / City Council
Equity & Diversity in Schools for ALL (NYC DOE plan)​
Desegregating NYC: 12 steps toward a more inclusive city
​
Integrate NYC: 
A youth run organization that stands for integration and equity in NYC schools.
Check Out These Resources!
Spring Break Conversations: Helpful ways to have conversations with your children about what they did over their spring break in ways that
will challenge them to reflect on the moments of connection that made their time off memorable.

The Windows and Mirrors of your Child's Bookshelf:
Ted Talk with Author Grace Lin
​
Talks at Google: Ijeoma Oluo "So You Want To Talk About Race"

Grace Lin Ted Talk: "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf"
​READ: Talking about Thanksgiving with our Children
  1. READ : My Kids Need Your Kids To Know About the Queers...Here's Why
  2. READ: Women’s History Brochure and Activity Booklet: Movements Throughout U.S. History: A timeline of persevering, breaking down barriers and shattering glass ceilings
  3. READ: Making the Grade: The Path to Real Integration and Equity in NYC
  4. WATCH: Where are you from? (2.5 min)
  5. READ: CNN's Where are you 'really' from? Try another question 
  6. READ: No, You’re Not Imagining It: 3 Ways Racial Microaggressions Sneak into Our Lives 
  7. Read DARING GREATLY: Transforming the way we live 
Also, here is some material from our Gender Inclusivity Workshop
​​Resources for Parents and Students

Webinars from the Child Study Center at NYU - topics ranging from teaching kids about the internet to overcoming anxiety

How to talk to your children about disabilities and differences

Check out this website for a variety of resources: Doing Good Together
​
​Learning more:​
Poetry!
Everyone is Beautiful
​The Golden Rule

    We want to hear from you. Let us know if you want to join the committee, what your interests are and what role you'd like to see the committee have with parents, children and/or teachers across a range of diversity and inclusion issues. Thank you!

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