Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Important Dates
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- Sep 15-Oct 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month
- LGBTQ History Month
- Filipino American History Month
- Oct 10 LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao
- Oct 10 World Mental Health Day
- Oct 11-12 Yom Kippur
- Oct 14 Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Oct 31 Diwali
Latinos Unidos has a few more fun activities for students for the remainder of Hispanic Heritage month. Please check out our IG and the Daily Don to find dates and times.
LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao. On Oct 10 at 5:30pm in the library, we are excited to welcome Anthony Rodriguez Yao as our featured speaker for LatinX Heritage Month. Anthony is an immigration attorney who will share his story and shed light on his experiences. There will also be an opportunity for questions, so come prepared! We look forward to seeing you there!
Oct 10 is World Mental Health Day. The overall objective of this day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
Oct 11 at sundown to Oct 12, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It is traditional to fast for the day to reflect on the year and end the holiday with a break fast meal after sun down. Students may be in services all day, fasting and spending the holidays with family. Please extend them grace during these days.
If you would like to get involved please email us at diversityandinclusion@acalanesparentsclub.com. All are welcome.
You Are Influential to Your Children and Your Community – Stand Up to Hate
In addition to producing events that help us connect, learn and grow, the DEI committee is also here to support parents. As we head into United Against Hate Week across Lamorinda, it feels like a good time to take a pause from our regular style of communication and acknowledge that the work is heavy and sometimes slow to yield results. We encourage you to keep going and to reach out if you need support. Try to approach equity work in a way that brings results, such as opening up a discussion with your kid(s). Our parent community is making a difference and our work is valuable.
Hate crimes occur right out in the open. Over the last few years, violent Anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise here and nationwide. Last month, Ye issued strong anti-seminitic statements that were intended to be divisive and harmful. These are just a few examples of hate speech and hate crimes taking place in our nation. In order to effectively fight structural racism and discrimination we have to have purposeful conversations with our communities and with our children. Did your family talk about what Ye said or discuss increased assaults on Asian Americans in our area? Perhaps your family talked about how those behaviors circulated on social media and maybe even how it showed up in your daily lives?
While often difficult to corral your kid for another “important” discussion (yep, we get the teen eye rolls, too) we feel it is vital that you make time to talk about discrimination and acts of hate this week. An easy way to open up a conversation might be to simply ask if your student knows that the City of Lafayette observes a United Against Hate Week. You don’t need to supply all the content – it isn’t a lecture, just start the discussion. Our kids are intelligent and thoughtful. You can be honest that you find these conversations challenging, deep, difficult, confusing, frustrating and fill in the blank. It is tough but ok to be in discomfort for a few minutes. Those sticky, tricky moments are where people may find the most growth.
We encourage you to keep building community and celebrating our individuality. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.
About DEI
The APC is committed to working with our Acalanes parent and student community as well as our staff and our school and district administration to promote a positive school climate at Acalanes that encourages a culture of inclusivity and belonging for all. It is not enough to denounce acts of racism, we must also work to challenge ourselves and our students to be anti-racist every day. The scope of this committee will encompass the full spectrum of diversity including gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and mental and physical ability.
OUR VISION
Our vision is a positive school climate in which all members of our school community feel welcome regardless of their differences and in which students feel empowered to enter the world as engaged and active global citizens.
OUR MISSION
We are dedicated to identifying, implementing, and supporting a strategic approach to building an empowered school community that celebrates diversity and actively opposes discrimination of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of one’s identity.
OUR GOALS
- Create a safe and healing space for our school community to communicate with one another within the scope of DEI (social issues, identity, current events, school culture)
- Facilitate parent educational opportunities for DEI
- Support and promote cultural events organized by Acalanes and its students
- Partner with Acalanes and District Administration to support and advance school and district efforts
