At PS 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. The Equity Team is comprised of community members including teachers, parent and caregivers and school administration. We encourage everyone in our community to explore our vision and join us at our meetings!
PS 39's Diversity & Inclusion Equity Team Vision
Our vision and core values of caring, resilience, curiosity, respect, and belonging anchor our focus on anti-racist, anti-bias education that puts kids first. By asking how curriculum, lessons and engagement support the most marginalized or at-need students in any learning space, we will make PS39 more inclusive for everyone. This focus encourages and reinforces respect for one another, and in turn social justice, empowering students to be able to use their voices and to speak these values. A parallel focus is to connect this work with families through family engagement and activities focusing on our core values.
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. As a subcommittee of the Student Leadership Team (SLT) all parents, teachers and administrators are welcome and encouraged to join us! You can read about our specific initiatives HERE.
Our vision and core values of caring, resilience, curiosity, respect, and belonging anchor our focus on anti-racist, anti-bias education that puts kids first. By asking how curriculum, lessons and engagement support the most marginalized or at-need students in any learning space, we will make PS39 more inclusive for everyone. This focus encourages and reinforces respect for one another, and in turn social justice, empowering students to be able to use their voices and to speak these values. A parallel focus is to connect this work with families through family engagement and activities focusing on our core values.
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. As a subcommittee of the Student Leadership Team (SLT) all parents, teachers and administrators are welcome and encouraged to join us! You can read about our specific initiatives HERE.
D&I Equity Team Meetings
Please join us twice per month (all on Mondays at 4pm) for our D&I Equity Team Meetings!
The 2020-2021 school year meeting dates are as follows:
June 14th and 28th
Join Zoom Meeting
https://fedcap.zoom.us/j/89070572977
Meeting ID: 890 7057 2977
Please join us twice per month (all on Mondays at 4pm) for our D&I Equity Team Meetings!
The 2020-2021 school year meeting dates are as follows:
June 14th and 28th
Join Zoom Meeting
https://fedcap.zoom.us/j/89070572977
Meeting ID: 890 7057 2977
Please visit our brand new Padlet!
We have updated our newsletter format and turned it into a padlet woth past newsletters as well as resources on all things D&I Check out the new format and feel free to add any resources. This is a community document that will be continuously updated.
We have updated our newsletter format and turned it into a padlet woth past newsletters as well as resources on all things D&I Check out the new format and feel free to add any resources. This is a community document that will be continuously updated.
The Book of the Month Program
May's theme is Immigration/Migration. Our Diversity & Inclusion committee is committed to helping our school community promote a culture of respect, social justice, equity and openness. To help our families on this journey, our team of parents and teachers have created a Book of the Month program for both families and adults. We hope this program will spark robust conversations around inclusion and diversity while bringing us together as a community with shared ideals.
The books can be purchased from local, independent bookstore, Books are Magic. If you own any of these books or would like to purchase them to be donated to the classrooms, please contact Karen Herskowitz.
May's theme is Immigration/Migration. Our Diversity & Inclusion committee is committed to helping our school community promote a culture of respect, social justice, equity and openness. To help our families on this journey, our team of parents and teachers have created a Book of the Month program for both families and adults. We hope this program will spark robust conversations around inclusion and diversity while bringing us together as a community with shared ideals.
The books can be purchased from local, independent bookstore, Books are Magic. If you own any of these books or would like to purchase them to be donated to the classrooms, please contact Karen Herskowitz.
K/1st: They, She, He, Easy as ABC by Maya Christina Gonzalez | Matthew Sg
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Complete list of all Books of the Month by Year
2017 - 2018 BOM * 2018 - 2019 BOM * 2019 - 2020 BOM * 2020 - 2021 BOM
2017 - 2018 BOM * 2018 - 2019 BOM * 2019 - 2020 BOM * 2020 - 2021 BOM
Dialogue & Drinks
June 2020
Please join us for Dialogue & Drinks on Zoom, Tuesday June 22nd, at 8:30pm and enjoy some real adult conversation about our April/May selection, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. RSVP to swatiparikh@gmail.com.
Twelve characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her Black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London’s funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, is a successful investment banker. From a nonbinary influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to clas
Here is a complete list of all of our past Dialogue & Drinks Book Choices:
2017 - 2018 Dialogue & Drinks 2018 - 2019 Dialogue & Drinks 2019 - 2020 Dialogue & Drinks 2020 - 2021 Dialogue & Drinks
June 2020
Please join us for Dialogue & Drinks on Zoom, Tuesday June 22nd, at 8:30pm and enjoy some real adult conversation about our April/May selection, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. RSVP to swatiparikh@gmail.com.
Twelve characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her Black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London’s funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, is a successful investment banker. From a nonbinary influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to clas
Here is a complete list of all of our past Dialogue & Drinks Book Choices:
2017 - 2018 Dialogue & Drinks 2018 - 2019 Dialogue & Drinks 2019 - 2020 Dialogue & Drinks 2020 - 2021 Dialogue & Drinks
Traveling Book Project
D&I PS39 invites students to take part in a traveling book project!
We want to encourage our students to get out in the community and share books they love with others.
So we are inviting students to grab a book from their bookshelf and visit our Traveling Book Padlet, where they can place their name, their current location, any interesting stories about their history with the book, fun facts about the book or its location, or anything else that comes to mind!
THEN… place the tag below on the book and leave the book... ANYWHERE!
We encourage students to be creative with where they leave their books. Take them on vacation! Bring them to a neighborhood that may not have as much access to books as you do! Share a book with a friend who could use a window or a mirror!
The book tags will be given out in school classrooms, and will be available at drop off or pick up. The below image can also be printed and taped to a book.
There will also be books available at PS39 for kids to tag and leave (anywhere. REALLY!!), if they don’t have one at home that they want to send off into the world.
D&I PS39 invites students to take part in a traveling book project!
We want to encourage our students to get out in the community and share books they love with others.
So we are inviting students to grab a book from their bookshelf and visit our Traveling Book Padlet, where they can place their name, their current location, any interesting stories about their history with the book, fun facts about the book or its location, or anything else that comes to mind!
THEN… place the tag below on the book and leave the book... ANYWHERE!
We encourage students to be creative with where they leave their books. Take them on vacation! Bring them to a neighborhood that may not have as much access to books as you do! Share a book with a friend who could use a window or a mirror!
The book tags will be given out in school classrooms, and will be available at drop off or pick up. The below image can also be printed and taped to a book.
There will also be books available at PS39 for kids to tag and leave (anywhere. REALLY!!), if they don’t have one at home that they want to send off into the world.
Masks for All
The Coronavirus has created a school year unlike any other. For the ‘20-’21 school year, the PS 39 mask initiative aims to provide a reusable fabric facemask to any student or staff member. We are starting with PS 39, but are looking to build partnerships with other schools to make sure everyone is protected. We believe that every person who wants a reusable mask should have access to one.
We are seeking to build an army of sewers and crafters to construct masks and ear savers. There are also many other ways to participate in the initiative without having to craft a thing.
If you are interested in participating, please click fill out our Interest Form.
You can also email Lesa Rozmarek at masks@ps39.org
The Coronavirus has created a school year unlike any other. For the ‘20-’21 school year, the PS 39 mask initiative aims to provide a reusable fabric facemask to any student or staff member. We are starting with PS 39, but are looking to build partnerships with other schools to make sure everyone is protected. We believe that every person who wants a reusable mask should have access to one.
We are seeking to build an army of sewers and crafters to construct masks and ear savers. There are also many other ways to participate in the initiative without having to craft a thing.
If you are interested in participating, please click fill out our Interest Form.
You can also email Lesa Rozmarek at masks@ps39.org
Wearing a Mask is Anti-Racist
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A Note from D&I
It is important that we address the atrocities that have been in the forefront of the news. The D&I committee is dedicated to creating an inclusive community of respect and equity and it is vital that we, both individually and as a school, address the racism that has permeated this country for far too long. It is not enough for us to express outrage at the murder of George Floyd or the ingrained racism shown in Amy Cooper’s privilege, we must offer families in our community ways to take action, to show up for racial justice. We have work to do. We need families to stand up as anti-racist--with actions, not just words. Our padlet has many resources focused on talking about the current injustices, and ways in which families can actively combat racism.
It is important that we address the atrocities that have been in the forefront of the news. The D&I committee is dedicated to creating an inclusive community of respect and equity and it is vital that we, both individually and as a school, address the racism that has permeated this country for far too long. It is not enough for us to express outrage at the murder of George Floyd or the ingrained racism shown in Amy Cooper’s privilege, we must offer families in our community ways to take action, to show up for racial justice. We have work to do. We need families to stand up as anti-racist--with actions, not just words. Our padlet has many resources focused on talking about the current injustices, and ways in which families can actively combat racism.
2020 Summer Engagement Kit
Our Kit includes:
★ Free events within NYC ★ Opportunities to get involved in community outreach ★ Booklists ★ Book of the Month selections for children and adult selections for Dialogue & Drinks ★ Museum exhibits and safe social distancing activities around the city ★ A weekly Challenge to engage in learning and community ★ A Guide to Digital Citizenship ★ Mindfulness and Wellness Resources ★ Safe Social Distancing Activities ★ Resources on how to volunteer and get involved in community action ★ Black Lives Matter Resources, Events, Organizations and book Lists ★ Social Emotional Learning Resources ★ Last Looks from our Fifth Graders
★ Free events within NYC ★ Opportunities to get involved in community outreach ★ Booklists ★ Book of the Month selections for children and adult selections for Dialogue & Drinks ★ Museum exhibits and safe social distancing activities around the city ★ A weekly Challenge to engage in learning and community ★ A Guide to Digital Citizenship ★ Mindfulness and Wellness Resources ★ Safe Social Distancing Activities ★ Resources on how to volunteer and get involved in community action ★ Black Lives Matter Resources, Events, Organizations and book Lists ★ Social Emotional Learning Resources ★ Last Looks from our Fifth Graders
ARCHIVES
Follow Race/Related from the NY Times Follow Scary Mommy on Race Follow EmbraceRace Follow Raising Race Conscious Children And, here is some materials from our Gender Inclusivity Workshop |
1/23/2020: Nurses, Fathers, Mothers, Teachers, Mothers. Why do We Devalue Someone the Minute They Care for Others?
12/3/19: Eight Brilliant Student Essays on Immigration and Unjust Assumptions 5/17/19: Black Girls Detail Harsh Consequences of Being Seen as Older Than 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 |
We want to hear from you! Let us know if you want to join the committee, what your interests are or 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! Please share your voice in our feedback form below.