Culture and Language Diversity UPDATE

We have had some exciting happenings in the Culture and Language Diversity/English Language Learners Program at Union Elementary School! We now have flags from all of our students and staffs' countries of origin displayed in the cafeteria. Below the flags is a list of the countries and a map so our school community can see how rich our diversity is.

We are also leading a Diversity Club each week, where students discuss issues around inclusion and have fun together.

One parent taught yoga to elementary students in Community Connections and taught Hindu dance in different venues at our school.

We also worked with the ELLs to write PEACE in their languages, and then they taught the whole school in an assembly how to say PEACE! Kids loved it.  We then displayed all the different ways to say PEACE on our hall bulletin board.

Interview with Hannah Thein by Second Grader Ariana

January, 2011: Martin Luther King, Jr. Month and "End to Racism" Day

This month we are working on a variety of diversity activities, including learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., and having an "End to Racism" Day on Wednesday, January 26. Community members will come into our classes and share books about diversity and racism.

We are sure that our guest readers will enjoy meeting  all of our students--our American students and our  students from  all over the world. Here is a snapshot:

Country of students or parent(s):   UAE	Languages spoken by students and/or parent(s):   Arabic
Russia	Russian
Bosnia	Bosnian
Haiti	French Haitian Creole
Croatia	Croatian
Iran	Farsi
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico	Spanish
India	Hindi, Tamil
Ghana	Twi, Ga
France	French
Japan	Japanese
China	Chinese
Canada	Canadian French
Korea	Korean

We also have:


As many as a class of students with  African American heritage;
A class of students with Asian American heritage;
Several kids with Native American heritage;
 and all the rest of us with ancestors from lots of different countries!

 Let us know YOUR heritage!

The quote below is from the "Better World" website: 

http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/endracism-quotes.htm

"'End Racism Day,' officially known as 'The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination', is a perfect opportunity to help our communities celebrate human unity and the diversity of the human race rather than allow our differences to become an excuse for racial separation. It's a chance to recognize prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination in our society, and how each of us may have our own prejudices and may be making people feel excluded without our even realizing it. It's a chance to reaffirm our commitment to eliminate all forms of discrimination and help create communities and societies where all citizens can live in dignity, equality and peace."-- Robert Alan