"I say OUR fight towards equality because we cannot progress as a whole if some of us are left behind." - Catriona Gray

Pride Month is for everyone to embrace who they are and let the world know. Pride is a time to recall the trials the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of trailblazing individuals who have bravely fought — and continue to fight — for full equality. Pride is both a jubilant communal celebration of visibility and a personal celebration of self-worth and dignity. This Pride Month, we recognize the valuable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals across America, and we reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice. A common theme we have seen for various groups of people over the past couple of months is the fight for justice, equal treatment, and the ability to simply exist. We celebrate and recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals who are fighting to live freely and authentically. This Pride Month, we affirm the need to uphold the dignity of all people, and dedicate ourselves to protecting the most vulnerable among us.

I recently saw a video on Instagram where a young boy was brutalized by adult males and females for exhibiting “female characteristics.” They cut the word gay into his hair and berated him in front of everyone, while physically abusing him by pushing him and hitting him. To add further insult to injury, they decided to record the incident and upload it to social media to further humiliate, mock him, or “beat the gay away.” As I watched this attack on this helpless little boy, my heart ached, and I cried with him and for him because the sad reality is that he is not an anomaly. His story is not new unfortunately; it just happened to be memorialized to show the ugliness and the worst of who we can be. As adults, it is our responsibility to protect our children and support them to become who they are meant to be. And the way we do that is with Love. We love our children and support who they are, no matter what. Who they are is beautiful, brilliant, strong, gifted, creative, and special. It is my hope that the family who inflicted such harm on that young boy will receive their due justice, but we as a community must also be held accountable for not speaking up and continuously allowing this to happen in our own families and communities.

June as Pride Month is such a beautiful month, not just because of the weather that is usually associated with it, but for what it represents. It represents Love, Diversity, Acceptance, and Celebrating the beauty and distinctness of individuality. The colors of the LGBTQ+ flag each have a meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and violet for spirit. It aims to celebrate inclusivity, unity, and encourage awareness, kindness, and acceptance for all. We must be better at valuing each other as human beings, Respecting each other despite our differences, and Protecting each other from any harm (emotional or physical). Love makes the difference and if we begin to operate from a place of Love, the world would be a significantly greater place. We celebrate everyone living and walking in their truth, and loving and defining who they are for themselves. Let Love be our guide this month and every month because “Love is Love.”

“Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

District 19 is a proud and inclusive community. As we celebrate Pride Month, we do so with the love and support for all. Pride Month allows us to come together and celebrate the freedom to be oneself. To love yourself and know that you matter. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” - Brene Brown. We all have the right to be treated equally regardless of who you are. No one should be discriminated against because they don’t fit into a specific mold. In a world with so much hatred everyone deserves to be loved and to spread love. Our differences are all uniquely beautiful and worthy of love. Our differences unite us, allow us to learn from each other, build with one another, and create shared experiences together. "Be you. Be proud." The freedom to exist fully and authentically is a basic human right that we should all exercise for ourselves and uphold for those around us, regardless of sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and other backgrounds – we must prioritize practicing self-love and acceptance, while celebrating each other with unity and pride. Love is Love!

It’s ironic that the symbol for Pride Month is a rainbow. A rainbow has different colors within the flag that represent togetherness, since LGBT people come in all races, ages and genders, and rainbows are both natural and beautiful. But…rainbows have many meanings. Rainbows commonly appear after a storm and for a brief moment, giving us the feeling of peace after the turbulent atmosphere. Or, the appearance of a rainbow is good luck or a sign of new beginnings. As we see all the colorful rainbows this month, I want to encourage you to see the rainbows as a sign of your success as you weathered the storm during this unprecedented time. Our community did an amazing job to ensure that children were learning and provided with the social and emotional support they needed. You worked relentlessly and endured quite a bit…be proud of yourselves…you were “a rainbow in someone’s life." We take pride and love the work that we do for the children and families of East New York.

We are P.R.I.D.E – Powerful, Resourceful, Inspiring, Determined Educators!!

We love you for all that you do…take time this summer to love yourself by prioritizing yourself first!

On June 18th the D19 GEM Squad hosted our 1st annual GEM Grammy Awards, better expressed by Executive Superintendent Watts as the “GEMMY’S.” It was a day full of special performances by our GEMs, tapping into the core value of CONFIDENCE. Our GEM Mentors and District staff shared a special message around STRENGTH with the girls. Utilizing the power of her VOICE, Principal Avery wrote and performed her poem titled, “My Voice, Your Voice, Our Voice.” The message was powerful, evidenced by the zoom reactions, comments in the chat, and messages after the convening. AMAZING!! Let’s not forget our GEMs, Principals, and Assistant Principals showing off their INDIVIDUALITY in this clip https://youtu.be/7LugL_kluos. In addition to the amazing performances, it couldn’t be the Grammy’s without Awards. The Special Events Committee presented special core value awards to GEM Squads, certificates to all GEMs, and a special Leadership Award named after no other than Dr. Collins. The day was filled with so much joy, love, sisterhood, and celebration!

A huge thank you to all that made this special event!

D19 GEM Squad: We LEAD

We have partnered with The Heart to Say It to develop a D19 GEM Squad Leadership Program. The GEM Leaders have had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and use their VOICE to lead GEM Squad initiatives across the district for other girls. Our GEM Leaders facilitated two Connection Sessions titled SQUAD Time...LOVE YrSELf and BE KIND where they discussed topics around body shaming, building healthy relationships, and the effects of bullying. The Connection Sessions allow GEM Leaders to foster relationships, build sisterhood, and tap into experiences, emotions, and commonalities to reinforce that we are more alike than we are different. GEM Leaders are encouraged to Express, Connect and Shift as they learn to further appreciate and stand in the joy, courage and strength that is womanhood. They have done an amazing job this year and we look forward to building out the program and lifting student voice to be a part of the decision making and planning of GEM next year.

This month, D19 MBK celebrated Juneteenth on Friday, June 18th with our SWAG & Say Hey Day event which had both a virtual and in-person component. At our virtual convening, our MBK Mentee All-Stars (Adner Cabral and Jaden Paynter – 19K654, Nicholas Torres – 19K907, and Dayshawn Brooks – 19K202) hosted the entire event, from start to finish, actualizing Dr. McBryde’s dream and vision of having our young men be at the forefront in planning and leading our monthly convenings. They welcomed their MBK Brothers, led them in the affirmation and mindfulness, and spoke to our discussion on Juneteenth, their strategic advocacy project presentations, and their experience contributing to our MBK documentary “Hidden Gems of East New York”. Shout out to our Grand Prize Winner JHS 292K, who won the Strategic Advocacy presentation competition. They surveyed their school community and identified the need for a food pantry. The mentees then advocated and partnered with local community-based organizations to fulfill this need in their community. We are so proud of them and the mentees from all our D19 MBK programs who chose to address a whole host of topics within the community, ranging from domestic violence to food insecurity to policing, and much more. Check out all our schools’ strategic advocacy projects at the Padlet link below. Stay tuned for Summer MBK opportunities!

On Friday, June 2nd, over 300 members of the District 19 family joined us as we held our STEM Showcase, which was a culmination of “D19 STEM Week 2021”. This year, we had over 500 submissions to the three challenges that students were able to compete in (Restoring the Earth Challenge, Design Your Own Virtual Experience Challenge, and Design a Post-Covid Classroom/School Challenge).

In addition, throughout the week, District 19 schools showcased the different STEM activities that were held in their buildings this school year by posting to social media using the hashtag “#d19STEMWeek2021”.

If you would like to review their submissions, please click on the link below.

District 19 hosted our annual Family Day event on Thursday, June 10th. Our theme for the year is The Community That Cares. This event supported our families as we promote health, wellness, and love.

Families across the district joined together in this joyful event to learn dance moves and participate in interactive activities with their loved ones and staff. Families received backpacks from their schools which contained care packages and school supplies. Below are some of the photos we took to memorialize this day.

This month’s Assistant Principal meeting was one of reflecting, sharing and celebrating. This year’s learning has been centered around Leading with Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Collins “put all the pieces together” to connect the areas of focus APs learned about, reflected on and applied in their leadership this year: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Assistant Principals then had an opportunity to reflect on their own practices and engage in collegial discussion, identifying the type(s) of Emotional Leadership they lean in to and shy away from. Many APs discovered they utilize each style at various times for different purposes and outcomes.

One of the highlights this year has been the sharing of AP Leadership Moves, a time when we highlight an Assistant Principal to share the best practices at his/her school and the connection to the 5 R’s. This month AP Ilana Latorre from 19K065 did an amazing job at sharing: systems and structures that allow for student-centered learning, how they are utilizing the curriculum to develop student ownership and agency, and how students are assessing their own practices, providing feedback to other peers, and applying the feedback to increase achievement. What was even more special this month is that every Assistant Principal had an opportunity to share their learning and key takeaways with our Consultancy group share-outs. We learned so much from each other! It is very true that, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Our final share out was from members of the AP Think Tank. Here APs came together to develop a common definition for student engagement in alignment with the 5R's and to create a framework which outlines the best ways to support SEL & intellectual safety within the classroom. During the share-out we learned about the purpose, process, and personal reflections of members.

And last but not least, we celebrated ALL of our Assistant Principals for their amazing work this year!

This month, Parent Coordinators learned the importance of Restorative Practices & Restorative Justice in schools. Parent Coordinators participated in “Keeping Circles” and small group discussions to create spaces that develop community, vulnerability and voice. The small group discussions fostered intimate settings where Parent Coordinators were able to share the strengths and challenges in school practices, and were introduced to tools to improve school culture and to build relationships with parents.

The meeting was facilitated by Tamiko Simmons, James Olearchlk and Kristen Radecki, representatives from BK North’s Office of Safety and Youth Development. Parent Coordinators will also receive additional training on Restorative Practices & Restorative Justice this summer.

District 19 School Counselors and Social Workers celebrated pride and love of their school community by sharing their social emotional accomplishments of the year. Counselors and Social Workers shared videos, images, and written content describing their school's biggest social emotional celebrations this year. These celebrations were compiled to create a District 19 video. During our final meeting, Counselors and Social Workers engaged in an activity discussing their hopes and fears for the upcoming school year. The hope and collective optimism of the D19 Guidance Counselors for school year 2021-22 were memorialized in one word and captured in the group picture above.

“We don't heal in isolation, but in community.” ― S. Kelley Harrell, Gift of the Dreamtime - Reader's Companion

I speak from the "we," often. The thoughts, feelings and behaviors of the community I lead, inform my decision-making and drive the culture we have created at the Cypress Hills Community School. We have much to be proud of as a school community for navigating the unknown. We have met the challenge together--faculty, families, community educators and students--and we have done so with grace, unity, and a continued focus on putting children and learning first. In a “regular” year, our teachers go above and beyond for our students and families. This year, they extended themselves even further to provide the best possible learning experience for our in-person and remote students; and on top of that, they were exceptional colleagues and teammates to one another, and to me. For this I am forever grateful.

It goes without saying that the 2020-2021 school year could not have happened without their dedication and tireless efforts. As we embark on this new year, we are in gratitude for the spirit of collaboration and determination that ushered us through an unprecedented 2020-2021. As we look forward with some relief, we are also mindful that our CHCS community is our collective responsibility; our communities are ones we co-create.

"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do." – Brené Brown

It's LGBTQ+ Pride month--a beautiful and hard-fought celebration of SELF-LOVE ❤️ You know what does not scream “self-love”? The words “portfolio presentation.” And yet, it is. Let me explain. June 2021 marks our 12th annual Grade 8 Portfolio Presentations, a CHCS graduation tradition, and a requirement. The process is intended to facilitate deep reflections and connections; and the presentation creates an opportunity for self-actualization as staff and parents bear witness to the unique stories of each of our graduates.

The process involves building off the content-reflection activities students regularly engage in throughout the schoolyear across grades, as well as the Student-Led Conference experiences which start in grade 5. Graduates prepare by looking at data to identify areas of growth in MAP and in our standards-based digital platform, Otus; and hone in on specific work samples that illustrate their growth. The presentations become very personal as students then identify the challenging moments and the supportive conditions that propelled their growth. The impact is further felt as the audience who attend the intimate presentations are handpicked by the presenter--a teacher from a past grade, an after-school leader, a certain friend, their counselor, etc.

In the spring of 2020 when Covid hit and students and teachers were thrust into remote learning, we waffled on whether to uphold the graduation requirement. After some consideration, we moved forward with it, firm in our belief that it is our responsibility as educators, especially in a crisis, to hold space for our students' experiences and feelings and to ensure that through the process, they see themselves fully--scared about the reality of a pandemic AND growing, learning and stepping into their future selves. (What does Glennon Doyle say? “We can do hard things.”)

These are some of the proudest moments of our graduation season, complete with gushing smiles and joyful tears. Moments when students tell you what kind of learner they are--"I'm not the fastest learner; it takes me more time than others. I learned to keep going and I'll get there too," what their edges of growth are and how they have pushed through them, noticing the "dark" or difficult moments that pass and give way to opportunities for joy, success, or peace. Saying goodbye to our graduates, some of whom have been with us since pre-school, is a significant moment as they make the transition to another chapter in their lives. Few things give me more confidence in their ability to navigate the world ahead of them, than a successful Portfolio Presentation. (What's the saying, “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” Lao Tzu) As these triumphant graduates practiced walking in their graduation today to the words of Andra Day, “You're broken down and tired of living life on a merry go round. And you can't find the fighter. But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out. And move mountains…” I cried ugly tears.

What’s next for us? Coming up with a more fitting name for these extraordinary presentations. Cultivating more opportunities and spaces for our elementary students to know themselves better and better, to name all the parts of their identities, and to feel free to be. Exactly. Who. They. Are. ❤️

On August 3, 2021, I will celebrate 19 years in a place I call my second home. Through the years there have been many changes in District 19, but the years that Dr. McBryde has been at the helm has taken us to new levels we never imagined and is keeping us “All The Way Up."

I started this journey as a parent, then volunteer, on to PTA President, and “the right man for the job” is what I was told when I was hired. Parent Coordinators are involved in everything. We are everywhere in our schools and community. Two children and 4 grandchildren have walked the halls of 605 Shepherd Avenue, and I have walked alongside them.

My Principal, Dr. Malik A. Small, has given not only inspiration to me, he inspires our parents and “his kids,” as he refers to our students. I work with a bunch of devoted colleagues that I call the ENYMSE family, who make our school shine bright. Thank you to Ms. Roman, Victoria Edwards, and Amanda Adorno for all the hard work that you put in, keeping PCs up to date and always in the “know.”

It has been my pleasure serving the parents and the children of ENYMSE, and I look forward to one more year to make the even number TWENTY.

“I am not a TEACHER, but an AWAKENER.” – Robert Frost

I have been part of the P.S. 108K family for 6 years. Six years ago, I was given the opportunity to become the 2nd grade bilingual teacher. Currently, I’m the 3rd grade bilingual teacher. I truly enjoy my profession and understand when the children are in my class, it is an experience that they will remember. Ultimately, I would like for it to be pleasant and inviting, as well as infused with rigorous instruction. I ensure this is accomplished through interactive lessons which encompass children’s interests, engaging activities, and maintaining a conducive learning environment. Furthermore, I look forward to working with my students and awakening their full academic potential. “I am not a TEACHER, but an AWAKENER” – Robert Frost, is a quote that resonates with me. I awaken a learning spirit by challenging them to realize that they have the power to make the difference in anything that they set their minds to. In this way, we move “All The Way Up,” thus the motto of District 19. As an English language learner, I came to the United States at 14 years old. I learned English as my second language. In turn, this motivates me to share my experience and “know deep in my heart” that they will achieve just as much as me, and potentially more. My advice to teachers is to know your students and help them become self-confident with a growth mindset.

I am grateful and yet honored to be nominated for the Big Apple Teacher Award by one of my student’s parent. The process of elimination was rigorous. yet rewarding because I was able to strengthen my pedagogy. To my delight, I was surprised on June 11th with the Big Apple Teacher Award. I would like to thank Principal Hahn, the P.S. 108K Staff Developers, and my colleagues for supporting me throughout the years. There are truly no words to express my eternal gratitude. THANK YOU P.S. 108K family for your support!

Our June Community Wellness Check-In took place on June 23rd and was facilitated by Ms. Victoria Edwards. It was an amazing time to connect with the entire community as we close out school year 2020-21, and hear from parents and Principals from our D19 schools. Field Support Liaison Irene Spence led us in our final Moment of Mindfulness for the school year. Jesse Gadson (013) shared out on the journey of the work of Parent Coordinators in D19 this school year. Parent leaders from 013, 108, 213, 214, 345, 557, 662 and 938 shared testimonials and acknowledgements of their Parent Coordinators/Principals for their continued and dedicated support throughout the pandemic. Principals Ciani Espada (557), Dr. Teneika Benn (938) and Ahmed Edwards (292) spoke to the resilience of their school communities and ability to adapt to change through this school year. Finally, Dr. Tamra Collins led the Closing Remarks for the Check-In, in which she highlighted how this year's check-ins have brought our community closer together by giving space for folks to demonstrate their vulnerability in putting themselves out there as a way to help them get through the past year and a half of the pandemic. As a collective, the Wellness Check-Ins have been a way for us to lean on each other and continue to build community.

District 19 and LitLife formed a partnership to educate families on the Brooklyn Basics principles: Maximize Love, Manage Stress and Read & Discuss Stories. Families learned Mindfulness techniques to support self-regulation for their children and how to incorporate reading into their daily activities. The workshops were facilitated in both English and Spanish and supported by the Brooklyn Basics Parent Leaders from the pilot schools.