Hello Families,

Happy Black History Month! This month (and every month) our classrooms will highlight texts celebrating the African diaspora in the United States and Latin America. We will focus on symbols of joy, resistance, and explore intellectual and artistic contributions. Don’t forget to read more about our annual concert and Black History Month celebration in the joy section for families! Both celebrations are a cherished tradition in our community, and we're grateful for the many family volunteers who work to make it happen.

In other exciting news, last Friday, representatives from education ministries across Latin America visited the Adams campus as part of their collaboration with the mayor's office, the Varkey Foundation, and the Araucaria Community. Two 8th grade students started the visit by sharing how their experience at Oyster Adams has shaped their identities as bilingual students. The representatives who toured the classrooms, were impressed by the students' ownership of their work, the celebration of learning throughout the school, the mastery of the Spanish language, and the conversations with the class ambassadors. A special thanks to Mrs. Delgado, Mr. Moreno, Mrs. Aguilar, and Mrs. Haese for hosting our visitors, and to Delicia Fullington and Daniela Morad for making it happen!

Finally, this week we share several resources to advocate for our Latinx communities against new deportation measures. In the Family Leadership section, you will see the resources we shared in the workshop about immigrants rights last month, as well as a new workshop that will take place next week at Elsie Stokes. In the School Day Essentials section we share information about our OA safety protocols during the school day and OCA, to ensure that all families feel protected in our school. We are all working together across staff and family lines to ensure that we protect every child's right to safety and an education.

In solidarity with all of you,

Carolina Brito, Principal