Dear Haggerty Families,
If you are a new or returning Haggerty family member,
WELCOME
Soo Dhawoow! Khosh Amadid! Marhaban! Bienvenidos!
Swagatum! Dahan-mesika! Bienvenue! Anquan danah mahtu!
Svagat! Huānyíng! Pryvet! Irasshaimase!
Välkommen! Fáilte! Atithi tarīkē svīkārya! Fogadtatás!
Hacheli! Willkommen! Καλωσορίζω! Benvenuto!
Eoseo Oshipsio! Chào đón!
Bem-vindo! Shalom!
Voghjuyn!
Welkom!
That’s “welcome” in 27 languages, and I’m sure I’ve missed a few! If I did, or if I made some errors, please let us know.
This year the staff and I will continue working to improve culturally responsive instructional strategies and practices. With that we are working hard to pronounce names correctly and make sure your languages our represented here at Haggerty. We are deeply committed to examining the practices that promote access and learning for all of your children. In order to do this work well, we need to build our skills. To date 26 Haggerty staff have attended a four-day training in Disruptive Equity and Education Project (DEEP). There is an urgency we all feel and in order to confront the many needed changes within the educational system and in order to do that well, we have to build our expertise. Dr. Darnisa Amante is the founder of DEEP. Check out the DEEP website >>
In the DEEP work, Dr. Amante has reminded us that we can’t have equity without empathy, and in order to have empathy we have to be able to listen actively. We will continue to work on active listening with all of the Haggerty students this year and take steps to deepen additional culturally responsive practices.
It’s important that you know the WHY behind this important work we’re engaging in with your children. In my adult years I can’t recall a more important time for our children and community to be working on EMPATHY. Sometimes it seems that as a country, we’ve forgotten how to listen, especially when we don’t share the same beliefs. Regardless of our own personal feelings and opinions – we are poised in this climate, to join our children in this work. We must remind ourselves as adults how important it is to consider the thoughts, feelings and opinions of others, especially when they are different than our own. As Leo Tolstoy states, “Everyone thinks about changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Thank you – I know you’re eager to join us in the work in service of your children.
As always, thank you for sharing your children with us! We look forward to a great year!
Warm regards,
Nancy