2018-12-21-BRIDGE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

also have to be aware of pressure from family back at home who may be questioning the kids' experience in American schools. At Lexington Learns, Deirdre led a session on what was learned from this project, and brought the community representatives who provided input to connect with teachers, answer questions, etc.with her. A good discussion on this topic followed. A parent asked if there's a program to match new families with family mentors/buddies to help with the transition to school in the US and in Lexington. Meg said that this idea has been discussed with the PTA and could be revisited. The ELL team has connected people with one another on an as-needed basis. Deirdre added that the LOOK Act—which outlines support for ELL students and families— calls for the creation of ELL Parent Advisory Groups. Learn more at http://www.doe.mass.edu/ell/look-act.html. Kristen Gray shared that Alex Kuschel, social studies coordinator, recently came to Bridge to talk about culturally responsive teaching and bias in teaching. She shared a tool to analyze bias in our curriculum. Staff used the tool to look at an example Thanksgiving curriculum and how it wasn't accurate,who was misrepresented or not represented at all, and what was missing. This tool can be a helpful resource for adapting curriculum going forward to ensure the diversity of student perspectives are represented. A discussion followed. Sejal Patel shared that Brookline has a parent-led program to send teachers abroad to learn about different school systems and academic learning environments. Perhaps something like this would be a good option for Lexington. Sejal will get more information about this program and report back. Dierdre shared that she is going to China in April through Primary Source, a professional development program used by LPS. Ruth added that she went to China through Education First a few years ago, and the trip included a very informative visit to local schools. The meeting concluded at 8:30 AM. Our next SBC meetings will be held January 25, March 1,April 26, May 24, and June TBD (based on the last day of school). For additional information, contact Meg Colella, Principal/Co-Chair (mcolella@lexingtonma.org), or Kimberly Hensle Lowrance, Parent Representative Co-Chair (khensle@gmail.com); or visithttps://Ips.lexingtonma.org/domain/481. 2