Welcome to the DEI Committee’s Community and Culture Corner on the LRES PTA blog!
We are so excited to continue our committee’s efforts to share our work with the school community and to encourage dialogue about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
DEI is important in education because it helps all students feel like they belong and that their voices are heard. When schools are inclusive, all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Diverse schools benefit all students, helping to foster performance and success through improved academic achievement, social mobility, civic engagement, empathy, and understanding (ED, 2023)
The LRES PTA DEI Committee is committed to making our school a more welcoming and inclusive place for all students, families, and staff. We believe that every child deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued.
In our Community and Culture Corner, we’ll continue to share about our ongoing committee work and will feature resources and tips for promoting DEI in your own home and community.
We will share culturally relevant significant dates for the upcoming month to increase everyone’s awareness and understanding. We will also update our new community and culture boards in the school cafeteria with interactive and engaging resources for all.
We acknowledge the sensitivity of cultural work and topics. This is a continuous learning journey for everyone involved, and our aim is not to offend. If you have constructive feedback on our initiatives, please feel free to contact us.
For February, we are celebrating Black History Month through Music and the Arts. Please stop by our community boards to engage in this celebration.
We hope you join us on this journey to create a more equitable and inclusive school for all.
If you have authentic, engaging, and interactive material relating to upcoming featured culture dates you’d like to share with our committee and the LRES community, please email us at dei@laurelridgeelementary.com.
February: All month - Black History Month
Feb 2: Groundhog Day
Feb 10: Lunar New Year (China)
Feb 13: Mardi Gras (US)
Feb 14: Ash Wednesday
Feb 14: Valentine’s Day
Feb 20: World Day of Social Justice (International)
Feb 21: International Mother Language Day (International)
Feb 23: Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia @ LRES
Black History Month Resources for the LRES Community:
1. Students can make their hero look like themselves
2. Explore the historical figures and listen to learn (Maya Angelou, Zora Neale Hurston, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, Ella Fitzgerald, Harriett Tubman)
Upcoming LRES community and culture features:
March - Desi-South Asian Culture, Women’s History Month
April - Arab American Heritage Month, Eid, Ramadan
May - Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month
Do you have engaging and interactive material about these upcoming featured culture dates? Are you willing to share these with the DEI committee? This is a call for authentic and engaging resources from our community. If so, please email: dei@laurelridgeelementary.com!