Some of you may remember that a few months ago JPS applied for and were the recipients of the Federation’s Adaptation & Transformation Fund! We were able to purchase new materials (toys, books, puzzles, educational materials) for our classrooms to help integrate racial diversity into the children’s environment.
As part of establishing the importance of inclusion, the 4’s classes participated in a unit called “All Around the World”. They learned about countries all around the world, including Africa, Australia, Israel, and more. We partnered with a 4-year-old class in South Africa and exchanged letters (via email) to compare/contrast our lives in Charlotte to their lives in Johannesburg. We enjoyed a visit with Ms. Nadine, a native South African, who showed us toys, photos, and fabrics from South Africa. We learned about different animals living in Africa, we learned about how they speak several languages there. We read many books about South Africa exploring the culture, the foods and what it is like to live there. We made several projects as well, including arm giraffes, African animal stamping, art inspired by African kente cloths and African necklaces. It was an amazing adventure learning about this incredible place, and it was very special to connect with a class “just like us” from South Africa!
We are so excited and grateful for this opportunity to deepen our commitment to inclusion and racial justice. Thank you, Federation!
