Community Calendar Update

Submitted by Simone Henry-Agblonon, Assistant Director: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

This year, at Dwight-Englewood, we have begun a process of standardizing the way we engage with our community’s holidays, holy days and observances. As we all know, we are part of an outstandingly special community that is decidedly rich with many forms of diversity. That diversity elevates all our experiences from the classrooms to the sports fields and everywhere in between. Additionally, because so many of us have roots in a vast array of places and cultures, we collectively honor many holidays, holy days and observances throughout a given year. In an effort to acknowledge each of these days in an equitable manner, we have generated a community calendar (https://d-e.myschoolapp.com/app/core#resourceboarddetail/33974) that will hopefully list all of the holidays, holy days and observances that are most significant to members of our D-E community.

All families are invited to add to this calendar https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5HXrQCOhf_O2-bV6b7_CR1peHkBJOPiRvAs2NISJvpgUHEw/viewform if we are missing any key dates, and to provide us with information about the corresponding history, traditions, significance, etc. Each date on the calendar is hyperlinked to provide learning opportunities for the entire Dwight-Englewood community of learners to benefit from. This calendar will be shared with all LS teachers monthly with highlights of what is coming up. Therefore, all teachers can share dates of significance to the community in their classrooms with support from Ms. Simone Henry in the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging (D.E.I.B.) department as needed. Dates that correspond with school closures will be taught in classrooms across the division so that all students are aware of the reasons why we are spending school days away from school.

This way, students will be well equipped to celebrate with peers and acknowledge dates that may not be observed in their homes, that are observed in many other D-E households. Students and families can also reach out to Ms. Simone and/or their classroom teachers to partner and empower students (sometimes with the help of their family members) to share dates of significance to that student that are lesser known throughout the D-E community. Lastly, assemblies and other types of full-scale division-wide educational opportunities related to diverse communities will be spearheaded by the D.E.I.B. Department, in partnership with each of our school’s established Family Affinity Groups, in order to provide more holistic learning. Planning and coordination is already underway with the representatives of each of these groups.