Look for the Helpers

If you are following my blog this summer, I'll try to post a mix mash of things I find during the week to inspire you just a little... This calendar is full of ideas you can do to educate yourself on becoming anti-racist, as you become more aware of how racism has affected us as a country.  As you can see it is a June calendar, but these ideas don't have to necessarily take place just in June.  You can do them at any time.  (Disclaimer:  As young students, I would prefer you to focus on learning through reading, watching, or listening to the stories of others.  Any monetary donations you wish to make as suggested in this calendar should be made only after consulting with your parents.  This calendar was created by Tilly Krishna, a junior at Essex High School.)   And a couple of kernels of goodness to remind you that you are awesome!  

I am so used to passing things along these days, and I didn't want to forget about these gems, so a little quote... "A smile is a curve that makes everything straight!"  --Unknown And a song from Hamilton that captures the sentiment teachers and parents have for their students and children!  I hope you are all enjoying your first day of summer! Be Well,  Mrs. Hempey

Happy Last Day of School... It has been a long road without you, my friends...and we've come a long way from where we began, but we've made it here to today, and I am confident that we will figure this out and see you all again in person next year.  It may be strange, and it may be different than what we are used to, but oh, it will be so sweet!  I thought I'd leave you today with just this simple message from your CBMS family!   Thanks for inspiring me! Be Well, Mrs. Hempey

Welcome to the last Monday! So, I know I told you on Friday that I was giving you your last, "assignment," which was to think about your summer goals and the habits you will create to get there, but...I lied!  One more thing I want you to do is to watch this CNN/Sesame Street Racism Town Hall  with your family (If you haven't watched it already!)  Yes, I know you are middle schoolers, yes, I know that Sesame Street is aimed at toddlers and young kids, but I watched it with my 7 and 9-year-old kids on Saturday, and there is a lot of good conversation here that is appropriate to young audiences and will help you and your families start conversations about race, racism, and antiracism.    I think that one of the hardest things about helping to break the cycle of oppression and systematic racism is just starting this conversation, and this Town Hall helps to open that door, so please find some time to sit with your family to check it out.   Don't just get ...

Happy Friday!   Two more days...summer is almost here!   All the good tough work that needs to happen in our country right now, is colliding with that summer feeling of just wanting to shake it all off and enjoy the lazy days that lie ahead.  I am trying to stay focused on things that are going to be good for me - rest, relaxation, time spent with my family, and rejuvenation for the school year to come, but I also don't want to give up on the immense amount of learning that needs to happen as well!   This has me thinking about summer goals.  I mentioned in a previous post that I am reading a book about habits by James Clear right now - here is the post - the book is fascinating so far and has made some links between habits and goals, Clear states that, "goals are about the results you want to achieve." and habits are the "systems that lead to those results."  What clear is trying to say is that if you want to achieve a goal, you can just thi...

Congratulations 8th Graders!   You are quickly creeping up on your graduation day, and I wanted to send out a special post to you.   I wanted to say that I am sorry that this year - your last with us here at Crossett Brook - has been interrupted, but I also wanted to say that I am proud of you for making it work!  I wanted to say that I know it's strange that this important moment in your life isn't being honored with all the usual traditions and celebrations, but I also wanted to recognize that honoring you in a different way will be historic and something that you will always remember!  It also doesn't mean that you are any less appreciated, admired, or loved by all of us here at Crossett Brook!   I want to say that because now is where you are, this moment seems so big and so important, and there may be sadness attached to the loss of the normal traditions.  These feelings are normal and valid and important to recognize.  Once you pay...

Good Morning Everyone, Today I'd like to continue addressing social justice and antiracism from my blog. What is antiracism you ask? Well, let me explain what I have come to understand.  Antiracism is when we actively take a stance against racial injustice.  It is fighting for equality.  It is going beyond just thoughts and feelings and taking action.  That action can come in many forms.  It can be in the form of educating your self or others, peaceful protest, monetary support for organizations like Black Lives Matter or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), or it can be about simply lending your voice to someone in need.   Some people would argue that topics such as these are wading into the water of politics and taking sides and that we shouldn't be talking about them in school or with young kids.  My response is that I don't care what political side people are on.  This is a human rights issue!  It's...

Hello Everyone,   Circling back a bit to some topics of a couple of weeks ago...  I wrote posts about  understanding who we are as individuals , finding our "nations,"   and recognizing our need for connection - the need to see and be seen .  These posts came to mind when I read this Declaration of Kids' Rights posted by Nickelodeon TV last night...    I think I connected the three posts with the declaration because as I read it, I imagined that one would really need to have a good sense of self and a belief that they are connected to others - their "nations" - in order to feel prepared to fully embrace these human rights.  Too often, people don't believe or understand their own self-worth, and therefore are unable to stand up for their basic human rights.  So I came back to this idea that one needs to feel confident, educated, and connected to speak out and demand their rights when they are infringed upon.   I really like...

Good Monday to you all. Today my blog post and my question of the day are tackling the same subject.  I want to help you think about how each and every one of us can work to become change agents in helping to dismantle racism, racist acts, and systematic racism in our school, our communities, and our country.   Last week was a difficult week in many cities across our country.  If you spent any time watching or listening to news broadcasts, or digesting social media, you likely heard discussions about race, racism, anti-racism, and equality.  You might also have seen that the Vermont State Police, the VT Association of Chiefs of Police, and our governor all made statements denouncing racism, racist acts, and racial inequality here in VT and in our country at large.   Just denouncing racism, however, is not enough, we must act!  We must educate ourselves!  We must think about what we can do individually to lend our voice to the dismantling of s...