TMS Parents:
This year TSD rolled out a statement of inclusion and belonging:
In Telluride, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to fostering growth and that all students, families, faculty, and staff members bring unique experiences, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives that enrich our community when recognized and celebrated. We are committed to cultivating a sense of belonging and empowering advocacy by actively listening, and welcoming everyone’s stories to create a community that is respectful, empathetic, and joyful.
We have been striving to take the words off paper, implementing and educating what we would like to create: a welcoming and inclusive community. At TMS we have had some struggles (as we do every year in middle school) around respect and kindness. Some of the behavior we have witnessed includes:
As part of our efforts to create and improve our community, we brought two speakers into the middle school; Jaime Carias (www.jaimecarias.com) and Dr.Michael Connor (https://michaelconner.us/ ). They visit schools around the United States and world to teach about cultural awareness, inclusion and belonging.
We started the day with a TMS assembly delivered by Mr. Carias and Dr. Connor. The goal was: All students walk away understanding how different identities can be understood and valued and what a focus on inclusion and belonging looks like. The main takeaway was “How can you be 1% better everyday?”
As the day progressed, they both worked with all 8th grade students in ELA classes; the goal for those sessions is as follows: Students to gain a sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment. Student will learn skills of building positive, respectful, supportive relationships with classmates who are similar and different from them through cultural awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness
I encourage you to ask your children about their experience, about what they learned, and about how they can be 1% better. We want to thank you for partnering with us in education and helping us in creating a respectful, inclusion school community. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Warm regards,
Sara Kimble
TMHS Principal
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