Hello Danvers Community,
The Danvers Public Schools is committed to addressing issues of race and equity. We strive to make sure that our students feel safe, cared for, and heard as they navigate our complex world. We believe it is vitally important for us to support our community as we face social justice issues together. Below we have listed carefully curated resources for our students, families, and educators. These resources aim to strengthen our anti-racism skill set and promote a more inclusive environment. Our schools will be incorporating Social Emotional Learning to advance inclusion and equity in the classroom.
Letter to the Community
through art, music, and allyship
The Importance of Talking About Race With Youth
We teach our children from a young age that if we have nothing nice to say – say nothing at all. So when we refuse to talk about race and racial injustices, youth can absorb that silence as complacency and acceptance. We need to discuss race with youth to demonstrate the role we want them to play in society as allies, advocates, and social justice leaders. Racial differences are a human-invented social construct, but they exist as a very real thing in our society, with a real impact on real people. Acknowledging this reality is key to creating change. read more…
These tips are guided by advice from “Books for Littles”, an organization that uses books to help parents have important conversations with their kids about social issues.
NPR’s Michel Martin talks to Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America, about how to talk with white kids about racially-charged events.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
“The work we do in SEL must actively contribute to antiracism by always using a lense of equity. SEL can help people move from anger, to agency, to action. Through finding and sharing your voice, you can move from anger to agency. From there you begin building your moral courage that moves you to action, where you can face challenges and execute on goals.” – Karen Niemi, President & CEO of CASEL
CASEL is an organization that supports educators with evidence-based social and emotional learning.
