What’s Good in the Neighborhood, February 1, 2021

I used to teach a graduate course focused on the History of Art Education. The course had historically used THE pivotal text in the field so I used the same text when I started teaching the course.  According to THE pivotal text, only DWMs, as I called them, (Dead white men) impacted the field of Art Education. Well, except for Maria Montessori who got basically a paragraph nod in the book.  Upon further analysis, the book did not acknowledge the different goals and expectations for Black, Brown, and Native Americans versus White Americans when public school was developed in the U.S..  I quickly changed the course to have the students critically read THE pivotal text, identify who was left out, and then find counternarratives from the same time periods.  It was important to me that I helped my graduate students develop a critical perspective on the field within which they were dedicating their lives and to help them develop the ability to engage with the same moment in time from various perspectives, not just from the perspective of power. I say all of this because I also want our students at CNH to learn to critically engage with texts and actively seek multiple perspectives when engaging with both history and current events.

Black History is everyone’s history. Representation matters. Counternarratives matter. This month we will amplify some of the voices in history that have been dampened or muted. We will begin the month with the Black Lives Matter week of action, will celebrate contributions of Black Americans throughout the month, and will end the month with a virtual All-School.  As the month progresses, I will highlight activities and insights in various classrooms.

Happy Week 21, everyone!

–Shyla.

 

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Noteworthy Upcoming Dates:

 

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This week we do not have Electives

Due to Progress Report Conferences this week, we will not hold electives on Wednesday.

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 Rollin’ with Your Sweetheart – February 12 4pm- 6pm

In lieu of our annual, ‘Breakfast with Your Sweetheart’ we are very excited to announce, Rollin’ with Your Sweetheart. This socially distanced CNH event will be held outside on the front stage from 4pm-6pm. We even have a DJ coming to play music! We will have special goodie bags for all our students to pick up filled with sweet treats and special Valentines from their classmates (see below for more details on how your child can send a Caring Message to their peers). We ask that you stay in your cars and we will bring the goodie bags or stay six feet apart with your masks on. We hope to see you there!

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Leave a Caring Message for your Classmates!

Receiving kind and warm messages during this time is very important for all of us. If you and your child would like to drop off a Valentine’s Day card for their classmates or teachers, you will have the opportunity to do so from February 1 – February 4 from 10am-2pm during our family office hours. There will be a box in the front lobby where you can drop off the card. Please make sure you provide enough cards for your child’s entire class and make sure they are labeled with the correct grade. (See the links below for a listing of each student’s name in each class.)

If you and your child would still like to send a Valentine’s Day card, but you’re unable to get to the school. Use the Google Drive link below and have your child type (or you type for them) a warm message to their classmates. These Valentine’s Day cards will be printed on February 11 at 12pm, so please get them done before then. These cards will be given to students during our Rollin’ With Your Sweetheart event!

• Kindergarten Cards

• 1st Grade Cards

• 2nd Grade Cards

• 3rd Grade Cards

• 4th Grade Cards

• 5th Grade Cards

• 6th Grade Cards

• 7th Grade Cards

• 8th Grade Cards

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What Does CNH Mean to You?

 

Make a yard sign for CNH! Tell the world what makes CNH special and powerful as a school.  Write a commitment for the school. Identify our beliefs as a school. Pick-up a yard sign any day 10:00-2:00 or THIS FRIDAY 5:00-6:00. We also have markers you can borrow for making the sign.  Return the completed sign any day 10:00-2:00 or when you come to pick-up your Rollin’ With Your Sweetheart goodie bag.

Here are some examples

At CNH we:

• Stand up against racism

• Embrace diverse perspectives

• Are Known, Loved, and Inspired

• Empower Voices

• Believe in Climate Change

• Etc… (Write your own!)

You can bring your complete sign on Friday, February 12 when you come for Rollin’ With Your Sweetheart — Or, you can bring it back to the school before that.  We look forward to reading your commitment for the school!!

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Care Center Site

Families can access the Care Center Site by accessing the CNH Family Site and clicking on the Family Resources tab. You can also click here to access the site. Students, teachers, and families can find different ways to support social-emotional learning on this site. You can also use this site to get in touch with Ms. Lauren & Mr. Jerred.

 

Care Center Week Ahead…

• Mindful Monday

• Wellness Wednesday

• Find a Friend Friday

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Purchase CNH Gear Online!

Want to represent CNH in all ways?  You can purchase shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, etc on our new TeePublic storefront!  Click here to check out our products!

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Donations to the School

If you would like to donate money to the school (for any reason), the easiest ways are through our PayPal account.  Please add a note, no matter how you might donate, with how you would like it used (general educational expenses, technology, arts, etc).

• PayPal Donate Button on Website: http://cityneighborshamilton.org/

If you aren’t able to donate funds to the school right now, we always appreciate your donation of time supporting the general programming needs at our school (all virtual, of course).  If you would like to volunteer for the school, please email our Family Participation Board Director Elisabeth Hyleck at ehyleck@cityneighborshamilton.org.

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Helpful Links

• The CNH Academic Calendar — This gives all important dates for this year (end of each trimester, Progress Report Conferences dates, etc.)

• CNH Family  Site — This is one-stop shopping for families (links to Google Classrooms, Family  Resources, the Care Center, Tutorial Videos, etc.)

• School Schedule Spreadsheet — This document has each grade’s schedule with links to Zoom meetings in one mega spreadsheet.  (NOTE: Student schedules are also posted in every Google Classroom with links to Zoom meetings)

• Family  Participation Hours Log — Any time you participate in a meeting with a staff member, attend a school event, participate in progress report conferences, or attend Committee Night, complete this form so that we can keep track of your participation!  Every family needs to log 40 hours of participation each year.

• CNH Main Website — Here is the main website with information about the school and resources.

• CNH Care Center Site — Find resources for supporting your child’s (and your own) social-emotional learning needs as well as see the videos posted for our morning meetings each week.

• COVID Testing Sites — If you are experiencing symptoms, click this link to find a testing site near you.

• Meal Sites — This site provides information for meal sites as well as other resources for accessing food.

• Shyla Rao’s appointment calendar — Feel free to make an appointment if you have questions, comments, or concerns. Shyla looks forward to meeting with you!