[House] Iconography question

[RJ Johnson]

I appreciate making space for the people who are within the school
community now. I also wonder how to prepare our learners to show respect
for people and cultures that they haven't encountered yet. It is one thing
to hold space for someone you know and engage with on a day-to-day basis;
how is the concept of respect for differences being taught to apply to
people with whom we don't have the benefit of familiarity?

Thank you for all you the dedicated teachers and staff at Monroe do!

RJ

On Tue, Nov 1, 2022 at 9:47 AM Boucher, Thor <bouchert at sfusd.edu> wrote:

> Happy to help!
>
> Our school does not participate in religious holidays as a mainstage
> event. For example, dia de los muertos is a cultural event, not a religious
> event. We also try to use more inclusive language like winter break (in
> lieu of Christmas break) and spring break (instead of Easter). We ask
> teachers to consider their families and students when having classroom
> celebrations (we have a high percentage of Jehovah's Witness families that
> do not celebrate birthdays) and several students where the mother is not
> present, so Mother's Day could be a sensitive topic.
>
> If there are events that you feel may not honor your family's beliefs and
> values, please let me know so we can work towards an amicable solution.
>
> Best,
>
>
> *~Dr. Thor*
>
>
> *THORBOUCHER, Ph.D. *
>
> Principal,
> Monroe Elementary School
>
> San Francisco Unified School District
>
> 260 Madrid Street
>
> San Francisco, CA 94112
>
> O: 415.469.4736
>
> E: bouchert at sfusd.edu
>
>
> <bouchert at sfusd.edu>
>
> *"People who are closest to the pain should be closest to the power." ~
> Ayanna Pressley*
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 1, 2022 at 9:11 AM RJ Johnson <rmjwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thank you for the prompt reply!
>>
>> My only other question is how is space being held for atheists during
>> cultural celebrations of any sort that have religious connections?
>>
>> RJ
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 1, 2022 at 9:05 AM Boucher, Thor <bouchert at sfusd.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Good morning,
>>>
>>> Yes, we have an altar for dia de los muertos, which is a cultural and
>>> teachable opportunity for students to express their culture and heritage.
>>> This is school-wide and a part of our Latino/a Heritage celebration.
>>>
>>> Kelly's costume yesterday was worn on costume/fantasy day, which is
>>> imitating cultural traditions and could be interpreted as mockery.
>>>
>>> If Kelly was wearing her costume as an expression of her faith, I am
>>> sure we can hold space for her to share that with her class/school. If it
>>> was worn as a costume that imitated someone else's beliefs, that would be
>>> considered cultural appropriation.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>>
>>> *~Dr. Thor*
>>>
>>>
>>> *THORBOUCHER, Ph.D. *
>>>
>>> Principal,
>>> Monroe Elementary School
>>>
>>> San Francisco Unified School District
>>>
>>> 260 Madrid Street
>>>
>>> San Francisco, CA 94112
>>>
>>> O: 415.469.4736
>>>
>>> E: bouchert at sfusd.edu
>>>
>>>
>>> <bouchert at sfusd.edu>
>>>
>>> *"People who are closest to the pain should be closest to the power." ~
>>> Ayanna Pressley*
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 1, 2022 at 8:52 AM RJ Johnson <rmjwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, Dr. Thor.
>>>>
>>>> It was relayed to me that Kelly's Halloween costume had to be amended
>>>> to remove the wings and halo for concerns connected to religious
>>>> representations on school property.
>>>>
>>>> This morning, Frances was telling me that an altar was being put
>>>> together (I was unclear on if it was in her class or for the school as a
>>>> whole) and she was invited/asked to bring in a photo of a deceased
>>>> relative/loved one to display on it.
>>>>
>>>> Could I ask you to clarify Monroe's philosophy regarding these two
>>>> situations?
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>
>>>> RJ Johnson
>>>>
>>>
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