Dear Parents,

This weekend we launched humans into space and down below on earth, two viruses raged. Both coronavirus and the virus of racism threaten American lives. Processing the events and scenes from this past weekend in a healthy and productive way is not easy work for adults. Imagine how that feels for children.

We cannot shield children from these realities, nor can we pull them into our adult processing; we must remember where they are developmentally and meet them there. When we do that, we have the chance to provide context and bring them into conversations. As educators, it is our sacred and ongoing responsibility to have caring, respectful, courageous conversations with students about diversity, equity, and inclusion. An essential part of this work is knowing with deep humility that there is always room to improve and deepen what we do. 

We also know that conversations aren’t enough. At Hyla our goal is to guide students from ideas to actions. As we educate children about racial injustice, the structures that support it, and the movements around the world working to dismantle those structures, we must give students space to practice the very skills that allow them to be part of that important work. With critical thinking, students can see racism. But with voice, they can speak up against it and with action they can intercept it. To move from thinking about racism to taking anti-racist actions requires courage, something we must allow students space to practice over and over again so they can access it when they need to. The more students practice courage, the more options they have to act with purpose and make an impact. 

This important work with children begins with meeting them where they are right now. Some children are overwhelmed, some need space to process, some seek information, some want to take action. And they all need to be kids. Our job as teachers and parents is to give them each what they need right now. I encourage you to check in and listen to find out where they are. 

And when they are ready to dig in, I recommend this TED Talk by Baratunde Thurston, Emmy-nominated writer, activist, and comedian. With simple visuals, he shows how to deconstruct racism one headline at a time. “I am asking people here to see the structure,” he says, “where the power is in it, and even more importantly to see the humanity of those of us made targets by this structure.” With storytelling and powerful language of his own, he shows us the language of racial inequality. His format, delivery, and message are excellent for middle schoolers. This video offers middle schoolers a possible framework for all the difficult images, headlines, videos, and conversations swirling around them.  

Hug them tight, 

Suzanne

Suzanne Messinger, Head of School