Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

April is national poetry month! Please join the Equity and Anti-Racism conversation at Hyde-Addison by joining us on Konstella, utilizing the resources here and/or participating in the monthly group discussion. As parents, teachers and staff, we are interested in doing our part to promote equity and end racism in constructive, supportive ways.

The next Equity and Anti-Racism discussion group will be held Thursday, April 8 at 7pm. We’ll discuss Ibram X. Kendi's book How To Be An Antiracist, but no worries if you haven’t read the book—there are plenty of other equity and race issues for us to discuss. Maybe you’re interested in discussing the racialized misogyny of the Atlanta mass shooting? Or, if that’s too heavy, we can discuss gender inequity at the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Or anything else that’s on your mind. Please join us! Here’s the Zoom meeting information, which can also be found on the Konstella calendar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88161788292?pwd=SFM2NWlaZzVyd1RmMDQvQVlYL0hCUT09

Meeting ID: 881 6178 8292

Passcode: EARTF

Guest Presenter, Dr. Shaun Woodly

Please join us at our April 27, 2021 PTA meeting, at 5:00pm, as we welcome our guest presenter, Dr. Shaun Woodly. He will be discussing Equity, Anti-Racism and Relationship Building. You may use this link to join.

With over 12 years of experience, Dr. Woodly helps teachers break the cycle of underachievement in urban and culturally diverse classrooms. This is done with targeted, research-based strategies to promote the highest levels of achievement, particularly for traditionally underserved students of color. His services and programs facilitate a paradigm shift in the way teachers approach motivating and relating to students, creating the path for willful engagement from students in each and every lesson.

Just last week, Higher Achievement held its annual ‘Love Out Loud’ event where local middle and high school scholars delivered their original works of poetry. Enjoy them virtually here: https://higherachievement.org/events/love-out-loud/poets/

The Poetry Foundation has an incredible resource page https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/children for exploring poetry with children, including some beautiful videos which help illustrate the poet's words. Check out Ziggy Marley reading Jamaican writer Claude McKay's Tropics in New York https://www.poetryfoundation.org/video/77373/the-tropics-in-new-york

Janet Wong has a great collection of her poems as printables on her website - https://www.janetwong.com/printables/

Hyde Addison teachers have compiled a list of their favorite books to celebrate National Poetry Month. Please click below to see their selections.

Poetry Read Alouds

Another wonderful poem by inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, "Talking Gets Us There" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAc3Zr7wFw

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqESmBozT2c

A Century Later by Imtiaz Dharker recalls Malala Yousafazi's remarkable journey http://www.imtiazdharker.com/poems_16-a-century-later

If You Give a Child a Word - spoken art by Brandon Sanders and Mikeala Miller - TedxYouth@FtWorth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMmSnZKSPI8

Today Hyde-Addison’s 3rd-5th graders are sharing poetry written by female poets and some of their own original poems. Here are a few of their poems:

Waves by Chase F.
Waves are blue just like you
if you look closely, you'll see a creature
that creature is you
You can be as sweet as chocolate cake
you can be as mean as the Grinch
but you were neither
you are grace.

Untitled by Sylvia M.
Close to her home
Then sent far away

The Taliban are coming,
But she knows what to say.

She fights through peace
And speaks through love

Only to let her enemies know
Where she’s coming from.

Earned many awards
Now in her property,

Now to fight for girls
And world poverty.

A Haiku On Japan by Ella S.

As the bamboo

sprouts, cherry blossoms bloom, as

tulips sprout along

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their culture, race or ethnicity? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

• Good Friday (April 2, 2021)

• Easter (April 4, 2021)

• Ramadan Begins (April 13, 2021)
• Emancipation Day (April 16, 2021)
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 2021)

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.