Madison Middle School

By barsotti_p 　https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2021/11/22/november-19th-2021/

Happy Friday Monarchs!,

Thank you all for your thoughtful work with kids, this week.

Here are this week’s updates:

MADISON INFORMATION         

• Fire Drill on Wednesday! – We’ll completing our required monthly fire drill on Wednesday at 2:00, during 5th period.

• FOCUS Slides and Circle Topic for next week (Should we move Focus and/or Lunch period?).
  • Remember, it’s a short week, so we’ll be doing circle on Wednesday. Please make sure that your focus class has the opportunity to discuss the circle topic each week. We have several teachers who resurface the circle topic throughout the day with their classes, and it makes kids feel unsure and nervous if they haven’t had the same preliminary discussion as their peers. 

• Leadership Plan: Thank you to those of you who voted on the leadership plan. The vote from licensed staff passed with 100% of those who participated
• Reminder: Please work with your 6th period class to put chairs up at the end of the day. We are still running short on custodial staff, and Larry would really appreciate that as a helpful time-saver.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND OTHER INFORMATION       

• Repeat: A Note About Thanksgiving: As Thanksgiving approaches, keep in mind that student conceptions about this holiday often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving as this article from NPR highlights. These conceptions of Native Americans can be both inaccurate and potentially damaging if students are presented with misinformation or “white-washed” versions of history. Additionally, we have students who identify as Native American or Alaskan Native in our school. We owe it to all our students and families to be mindful, accurate, and inclusive when teaching about Thanksgiving. When planning activities, be aware that what most of us learning in school about the “Pilgrims” and “Squanto” and the First Thanksgiving is both history and myth. Thanksgiving activities should not reinforce historical myths and/or stereotypes. If you’re planning on teaching around the topic of Thanksgiving, please either shift the focus to age-appropriate and historically accurate information or to a more personal focus on what students can be thankful for. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at the National Museum of the American Indian, Teaching Tolerance and Education World. This Google Doc links to a ton of read aloud stories, primary resources, sites, and other information about Native and Indigenous Peoples. Here is a good article with a Native American Perspective on Thanksgiving as well as one on The True Story of the First Thanksgiving. Also the 4J Natives Program is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture. See the next item for more details on that. Note: When I share resources like this, please do not hesitate to let me know if they are outdated or do not meet our standards for equity and inclusion. I recognize that despite my best intentions, I may at times share things that need to be updated. Additionally, if you have resources to share, please let me know.

Next Week at a Glance:

Four more weeks until Winter Break!

Peter and Gina