Living Our Mission During Challenging Times

Second Grade Teacher Jessica McCoy greets her first student with an air hug.

Creating curious, kind, courageous, and adventurous learners and leaders.

The ink was hardly dry on Colorado Academy’s new Mission Statement last fall when the CA community was stunned by the death of beloved Kindergarten teacher Leslie Webster. People were still grieving, still wearing yellow ribbons to honor her, when in-person school closed, and students transitioned to remote learning because of the dangers posed by COVID-19. By late spring, COVID-19 remained a daily threat at the same time the country experienced a resurgence of the national movement protesting systemic racism. It is one thing to say that students will be kind and courageous leaders on school days with ordinary challenges.

But how would CA fulfill its mission under the dual clouds of COVID-19 and racial reckoning? With grace and action, as is very evident in these stories told by faculty, administrators, and students of all ages. n Creating

Woody’s Pond

Look for Lower School Science Teacher Diane Simmons, and most likely, you will find her in the classroom built over Woody’s Pond. COVID-19 has not changed that. In her own words, Simmons talks about how she is keeping her students curious during a pandemic. “Students are just naturally curious. As they walk to Woody’s Pond, they are looking around and they want to know ‘Why is there fog over the water? What are those bubbles in the water? What kind of bird is that? What are cattails? Why did the duck dive under the water?’

REDI Lab

“Before they even enter the classroom, I am answering questions they are curious about, and that sets the stage for the classroom curriculum. Curiosity is part of our mission as science teachers, and COVID has not changed that. We want students to be curious, and we do things to encourage it. We regularly do experiments, and we analyze the results: ‘Why did that happen? Why did it work? Why did it not work?’ We are always trying to get to the ‘Why?’ “During COVID, we have to find the best way to do experiments, because they can’t touch things like they did before. I use materials that I can either wipe down or replace. In some cases, I demonstrate the experiment, and they observe me, but they still must do the analysis. My curriculum has not changed during the pandemic. Whether they are learning in person or remotely, students are getting the same material, so they will not have gaps in their learning. “I learn every single time I teach something. I am always changing, updating, and researching, demonstrating my own curiosity. The students can see that, like them, I am also a lifelong learner.”

When Senior Sam Ehrman began his selfdirected trimester-long learning project in REDI Lab during his Junior year, he thought he might want to spend the trimester doing actual lab research, but that plan would not have been possible during a pandemic. Instead, Ehrman met with REDI Lab Coordinator Tom Thorpe, who asked him questions designed to redirect his curiosity. “In REDI Lab, they want your project to be not just an ‘idea,’ but it has to be something that is very important to you,” Ehrman says. “They want you to figure out your ‘Why,’ and everyone’s ‘Why’ is different. For me, I wanted to find what would drive people to make progress and change.” Ehrman did some self-reflection and came to the conclusion that he was more easily motivated by activities that demanded short bursts of high energy with an immediate result. When it came to activities that demanded long engagement, he had a tendency to procrastinate. Could he break that habit, he wondered? His research led him to the famous study done by Pavlov, pairing a stimulus with a conditioned response in dogs. Ehrman’s curiosity led him to develop a stimulus for himself (flicking a rubber band on his fingers), which was designed to condition him to start working on a project he had postponed. Then he widened his research to fellow students who had various bad habits they wanted to break or good habits they wanted to create. His final conclusion was that even when people have good intentions to have good habits, they need an external force outside their control to kickstart them into action. “REDI Lab gives you the time to dig deeply into a subject,” Ehrman says. “More than you ever have before, you can let your curiosity run wild.”

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The Libraries

How can you keep curiosity and community alive when the libraries are closed? That was the challenge faced by CA librarians in the spring of 2020. Their answer evolved into the very popular “Books and Bedtime” series, as each librarian—Allison Peters Jensen, Allie Bronston, Mary Leyva, and Becci Marzonie— took turns reading a bedtime story over Facebook to CA students.

“It was a strange time, so we wanted to surprise the kids with funny stories,” Peters Jensen says. “We hoped those books would make them curious about other books in the library.” As the summer evolved into a time of national racial unrest, the librarians had another request from parents: “Can you recommend books that will help us educate ourselves and talk with our children about systemic racism?” In response, CA’s team of librarians collaborated with Director of Inclusivity Sarah Wright and drew up a list of books that examined racial issues for all ages and audiences—parents, children, faculty, and staff. With Peters Jensen, all Third Graders are reading the book, It’s Okay to be Different. “We put all 56 of the library’s stuffed animals together, and we talked with students about what makes them different,” Peters Jensen says. “Because we have so much rich content in the library, we often talk about how a community is stronger because of its differences. Our students are so ready to have these conversations.”

All Are Welcome

When Kindergarten students received their letter of welcome during August, they also received a book that had been suggested by Kindergarten Teacher Christine West: All Are Welcome. Here are some excerpts from the book, paired with comments by Kindergarten Teacher Lindsey Owens on how she is incorporating messages of kindness and inclusivity in her classroom every day. No matter how you start your day. What you wear when you play. Or if you come from far away.

All are welcome here.

“In CA Kindergarten, we wanted to set the tone from the first day of school. It doesn’t matter what your background is, if your skin looks different, if your religion is different, if your family is different, you are welcome at CA.”

In our classroom safe and sound. Fears are lost and hope is found. Raise your hand, we’ll go around.

All are welcome here.

“School may be the first place where Kindergartners see differences, and we want to show them it’s positive to talk about what they see. All subjects are fair game. They are so open and naturally curious at this age, and so we say, ‘If you are wondering, ask!’” Gather now, let’s all take part. We’ll play music, we’ll make art. We’ll share stories from the heart.

All are welcome here.

“Through books and spontaneous conversations, one of my main goals this year is to make sure that we talk about being inclusive all the time. It’s easy when someone is like you to be kind. When they are not like you, it may be harder. That’s where the teaching and foundation-building come in. Kindergarten is such a loving, positive experience, and being kind is something we can all have in common.”

Caroline Haley, Grade 7

If there is ever a tough year for a Middle School student to move across the country and change schools, it’s the Seventh Grade. And doing it with the disruptions created by a pandemic could make it even worse. That’s what Seventh Grader Caroline Haley feared until she arrived at CA and, as she describes in her own words, encountered some very kind strangers. “I was disappointed to leave all my friends and school behind in Chicago, but I’m so grateful to be at CA. Of course, I was really nervous to start school. In fact, I was very terrified, because it’s an odd year to come into a new school.

“I knew a few people from the day that I shadowed last year, but I was worried they wouldn’t remember me. And people may not realize it, but when you come as a new student during the pandemic, you are wearing a mask, so people can’t see half your face! And you have to social distance! I thought it would be hard to meet new friends.

“But it turned out that the girl I shadowed, Khloe Brown, was my neighbor. I reached out to her before school started, and she introduced me to her friends. ‘Here is this person, and this person, and this person!’ It was so cool, and everyone was so sweet. They went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

“The teachers have also been so good at introducing me to everyone and showing me how things work. I think CA is a great school. The academics are good, the campus is so pretty, and the people are so nice. I already have a great group of friends.”

Peter Carpenter, Senior

Senior Peter Carpenter had not even started his Freshman year at CA when he experienced an act of kindness that has stayed with him, as if it happened yesterday. He was an incoming Freshman soccer player, hoping for a slot on the Varsity Soccer team when, during a preseason summer scrimmage, Coach Gabe Bernstein put him into the game. “I actually scored,” Carpenter remembers. “But it was an ‘own goal,’ meaning I scored a goal for the other team. I was full of dread. All I could think was, ‘How will I ever make the Varsity team?’” Instead of being blamed or ostracized for his mistake, Carpenter experienced the opposite. “The amount of overwhelming support that I received from my teammates, whom I barely knew, and from the coaches, whom I also didn’t know, was just incredible,” he recalls. “I think CA values making mistakes and learning from them. And I think that everyone—students, faculty, and teachers—all understand that’s something that makes us, ‘us’.” “This is an example of what makes our coaches great,” says Director of Athletics Bill Hall. “Coach Bernstein took that moment and turned it into a learning experience that Peter never forgot.” kind,

Chloe Brants, Senior

Even during a normal year, stepping to the podium at an Upper School Town Hall to deliver the year’s first Senior Speech takes a bit of courage. During a year when the pandemic has split the Upper School in half to reduce class density, and there is no possibility to gather in a group, no audience to speak to, no podium to lean on, it takes a great deal of courage to raise your hand, go first, and truly engage your classmates. And yet, when Chloe Brants finished her speech delivered over Zoom, sitting at a computer in Senior Dean Gabe Bernstein’s office, this is what she heard through the closed door—clapping. Behind closed classroom doors throughout the Upper School, students were applauding. The nucleus of her speech stemmed from Brants’ self-directed REDI Lab project during her Junior year, when she researched religious theory and examined how COVID-19 had changed her peers’ attitudes toward God. She found people who were angry at God, but she came to a different conclusion, one she shared in her speech, excerpted here: “The pandemic has brought me to notice that you can’t truly appreciate something until you know what life is like without it. “Once all of this is over, no masks, no social distancing, no Zoom school, we will love and be so thankful for our way of life on a whole different level than before. It’s this feeling that we have to look forward to. It’s a beacon of hope that will help us into the future. No matter how dark and horrible things might be right now, just remember that these challenges will make life that much better down the road.”

Abby Alem, Sophomore

Last spring, during COVID-19 remote learning, Abby Alem found herself feeling particularly disconnected—distant from her school and church community, “at a loss trying to be safe.” Freshman Dean Meg Hill suggested she enroll in a week-long advocacy institute with the ACLU. Normally, she would have traveled to Washington, D.C., but because of the pandemic the institute was held online. Nonetheless, through this experience, Alem found a new sense of connection.

In particular, at the ACLU institute, Alem had more experience with Affinity Groups, gathering opportunities for people with a common identity. Alem was part of an Affinity Group that met every day at the institute and that got her thinking. Could she introduce the same idea to CA?

In an act that she sees as a part of her own personal learning process, Alem wrote a letter to Director of Inclusivity Sarah Wright and explained her proposal. “I knew my experience was unique and part of who I am,” says Alem. “As great as CA is, I think CA still has room to grow supporting students who are traditionally marginalized.” In Wright, Alem found a sounding board, and she made connections to other Upper School students who felt the same way she did. The process of forming Affinity Groups is still in the early stages, but Alem says she is “excited to see where it will go.” “In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need an Affinity Group,” she adds. “But even when things get better in the world, I hope we still have it.”

Middle School Math Teacher Jason Koza

CA Faculty

Ask Middle School Principal Bill Wolf-Tinsman about where you can find courage in the Middle School, and he answers without hesitation: the Middle School faculty. His words reflect not just on the Middle School, but also on CA’s Lower and Upper School faculty during 2020. “As teachers, we are always modeling, trying to show students different ways they can be a positive force in the community and make good decisions. During COVID, we have also had to be models. Just as we ask students to be courageous, put themselves out there, and receive feedback, we have had to be courageous with our teaching. “None of us ever thought we would be teaching solely online. We love teaching in person! All of a sudden, that was not possible, and very quickly we had to create an online version of school. The whole Middle School faculty rose to the occasion. They worked very hard, took risks, learned from mistakes, and continued to deliver high-quality education to our students.

“We are always asking our students to demonstrate different types of courage. Our teachers have been modeling courage for students every day, but never more impressively than during the COVID-19 pandemic.” courageous, and

JJ Moore, Junior

In fall of 2019, Sophomore Dean Emily Perez urged JJ Moore to apply to the Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar (TASS) which would be held in the summer of 2020 at Cornell University and the University of Michigan. Students accepted into the highly selective sixweek college-level seminar study topics related to Black and ethnic studies. Moore was one of 56 students chosen for the program from across the country. Here, in her own words, she describes a summer of unexpected adventure. “When Ms. Perez suggested I apply, I never really expected I would be chosen. I heard they had 15,000 applications from students all over the world! But then I decided, ‘Why not just give it a try? The only way you fail is if you don’t even try.’ So I wrote the application essays and sat back to see what they thought about me. “I felt incredibly lucky to be chosen and really excited, because I was headed to live on campus at Cornell, and I had never been to Ithaca. And then during spring, I started receiving emails that made it pretty clear that we were not going to be able to have TASS on campus, but we would still be able to meet on Zoom.

Art Adventures

For CA artists, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced an unexpected silver lining. “We’ve given our students more autonomy with their creative work,” says Director of Visual & Performing Arts Katy Hills. “As a result, children can go on their own artistic adventures.”

Visit a Lower School art classroom this year, and you will notice that every student has their own oversized bag filled with art supplies. The art bags serve a dual purpose. In class, students don’t share materials, minimizing personal contact. And if students need to return to fulltime remote learning, they can take their year’s work and supplies home with them. In Upper School, artists were also given their own supplies to take home. In Lower School music classrooms, students have a similar set-up with their own buckets, filled with personal instruments that only they use. Not being able to share supplies in a group studio space is a challenge that art and music teachers have rarely, if ever, had to face. They spent their summer months on their own adventure, wrapping their brains around ways to continue educating during a pandemic and then creating individualized kits for each student.

“We saw so much joy and pride in the faces of our students when they realized that they had their own supplies,” says Hills. “We’ve witnessed a new level of independence and adventurousness in our artists and musicians, as they feel a sense of ownership and comfort in materials that are theirs.”

But what does a Theater Department do during a global pandemic when the Froelicher Theatre has been torn down to make way for the Leach Center for the Performing Arts? What might have seemed an insurmountable hurdle served to bring out the creativity in CA’s technical theater class. Faced with the need to create a shop where they could build sets, they found an empty space in the back of the Field House. Theater and Dance Department Chair Steve Scherer tasked the advanced level technical theater students with the job of designing the important and necessary functional features of the space. The students designed a tool bench, rolling carts that hold all their storage cabinets, and a moveable table that doubles as storage. Middle School and Upper School technical theater students used the plans to build the shop furniture together as a group, demonstrating again that uncertainty can lead to creativity. “Sometimes the most creative people have the most limited resources,” Hills says. “This is a year that’s demanded imagination and determination from our students and teachers. Stepping up the way they have has led them on a special creative adventure.”

“My group was all students of color from around the world, and our seminar examined history “From Slavery to #BlackLivesMatter.” The crazy thing is that the professors had settled on that topic a year in advance, but it couldn’t have been more timely, because of heightened awareness about racial issues around the country. The other students were very bright, articulate, and had so much conviction. For once, I was the quiet person in the room, because I felt they were at a different level from me. It was scary, but it was the best experience.

Being around people who speak the same truth was wonderful. “Finally, after three weeks, the subject of Ida B. Wells came up. I had written an essay about her, so I spoke up for the first time. I felt so courageous in that moment and was so proud of myself. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be the person who speaks all the time, but when you speak, make it a watershed moment. “An adventure asks you to try something new, something you have never done before. Even though I couldn’t travel, the opportunity to do this program, meet new people, learn about myself, and have an experience I had never had before—that’s what made this an adventure.” adventurous

‘Miss Take’

A veteran of 17 years in the classroom, Second Grade Teacher Jessi McCoy candidly describes herself as a “markers and paper kind of teacher.”

“Sometimes teachers get into their routines and don’t try new things,” she says. “But I have learned since COVID started that even as I am saying ‘I can’t do that,’ all of a sudden, I’ve learned to do it.” Still, returning to school this fall—with the CA Flex system that had half her class in the room and half online at home— brought new challenges, and McCoy admits, new anxiety. “How could I teach students online at the same time I had them in person, wearing a mask, and social distancing?” On her first day with a divided class, McCoy decided to jump into teaching with the Owl camera. She had created a picture of a teacher named “Miss Take,” a teacher who occasionally makes mistakes, like spelling a name wrong, or forgetting the schedule for the day. Almost immediately, she realized her well-intentioned lesson on how it’s okay to make a mistake had become a self-fulfilling prophecy. All she heard from her students learning remotely was a chorus of, “We can’t see it!” “I got through it,” she remembers. “But I had made about 20 mistakes in a lesson about making mistakes.” By the next day, she had figured out how to share visuals with the students at home. She celebrated with a well-earned cheer, because after 17 years, she, just like her students, is still learning. “We’ve learned that we are stronger than we thought we were,” she says. “We can practice learning new, hard things.”

Collin Mielke, Grade 6

In his first year of Middle School, Collin Mielke is thrilled to be back at CA learning. “I love being on campus, and I would much rather go every other day than not go to school,” he says. “Even though there are challenges, social distancing is much better than staying home.” He describes learning at home on the Owl camera as “better than I thought it would be.” And he praises his teachers, whom he calls “supportive and kind.” “They have done a great job of adjusting to everything being new to them,” he says. “And they have kept everyone calm.” Collin’s teachers say he is an enthusiastic learner, and he is eager to talk about what he is studying this fall. In math, he is learning order of operations with exponents, in science, he is learning the metric system and studying water quality issues, and in Core English, he is learning a lot of vocabulary. His favorite new word is “sage.” “I love people who are sage,” he says. “They are wise, and they give good advice.” He has his own sage advice for the CA community. “If we keep doing the routine we are doing, we stay positive-minded, and we are supportive of each other, we will get everybody back to school someday.”

learners

Hannah Krueger, Senior

Hannah Krueger is a leader in STAMP (Students Taking Action and Making Progress) which organizes peer-to-peer workshops on equity, action, healing, and inclusiveness.

Here, in her own words, is what she has learned from her experiences with STAMP. “I first went to STAMP as a Middle Schooler, and the experience sparked my interest in diversity, equity, and inclusivity work. I like the idea of getting everyone involved and having important discussions on DEI. I want to be a teacher eventually, and this felt like a way to inspire future generations to make this world a better place. “Going to STAMP in Middle School gave me the tools and trained me to lead others and help other people who want to make a difference. It’s how I became a leader today. “This fall, we started remote training sessions to decide what topics we will discuss during a series of six workshops for high schoolers across Colorado. I can see that people want to get involved and learn more, and that’s a good thing. “People’s opinions are often determined by the way they were raised, but you can help people change their perspectives and form their own opinions. That’s why this work is so important to me. Not all issues are simple. Through STAMP, I have learned strategies to discuss different points of view. We need to learn from each other to create a world where everyone feels included and accepted.”

Mackenzie Wagner, Senior

Mackenzie Wagner has the unenviable task of serving as Co-President of the Class of 2021 (with Catherine O’Halloran and Ryan Gaghen) during a Senior year like no other. “Right now, we are trying to be optimistic,” she says. “Acknowledging that this is really tough, and sometimes overwhelming, helps everyone grow and not get trapped in negativity.” Wagner praises the support she receives from her two co-presidents, but she also gives particular credit to the presidents of the Class of 2020: Jasmine Bilir ’20 and Matt Robinson ’20.

“They set a great precedent as leaders in the ways they dealt with the coronavirus,” she says. “They looked for ways to boost spirits, be creative with the situation, and make the best of it.”

Wagner believes Bilir and Robinson distinguished themselves as leaders because they “listened first,” asking students how they could help. In that vein, the leaders of the Class of 2021 have created a committee of Seniors who are brainstorming ways to keep spirits up. They have also paired with the leaders of the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior classes, one Co-President for each class, in a new mentorship program. Wagner also finds herself leading CA students during a time of national racial reckoning. She is President of the Asian Culture Club and is leading a new inclusivity committee within FACES, which is an umbrella group where students of color and from historically marginalized backgrounds can find a second home at CA.

“We are in a formative time of our lives, and that is running parallel with a formative time in the country,” Wagner says. “It’s exciting and gives me hope for the younger grades at CA and incoming students of color, so that they know they are loved and represented and can experience all the amazing things CA has to offer.” Even though she is only 17, Wagner is already talking about her “legacy,” a sign, perhaps, of the weight young leaders carry during dual crises. “When I leave CA, I hope the work I did on inclusivity will still stand and will empower other students to step up and make change,” she says. “At CA, a lot of change is student-led. It’s not over yet.”

Edie Esposito, Grade 6

Sixth Grader Edie Esposito’s teachers say she is a leader who does not realize that she is leading. Here, in her own words, is what Edie believes it means to lead during the challenges posed by a pandemic. “I remember when I was in Fifth Grade, and we had to start Zoom learning, my teacher, Ms. Ohly, said, ‘You should just try to be the best person you can be every day.’ That stuck with me, and it’s what I’ve tried to do since then.

“Learning to be a good person started all the way back in Pre-K at CA. It meant being inclusive and sharing. It’s hard to learn sharing right now, because we can’t share anything! But I try to be caring, respectful, and engaged in the learning environment. I try to be a friendly and approachable person. “I think for some people it may be hard to wear a mask all day, but if you keep doing what you are supposed to be doing and try not to be anxious about things you can’t control, it will clear your mind and make it easier to relax. I really appreciate that everyone at CA is working so hard to get us through this. “I remember in one of Dr. Davis’s assemblies, he said CA’s mission was to create courageous, kind, curious, adventurous learners and leaders. That mission statement is important to me, because it gives me a goal. It tells me how I can be the best person I can be in the CA community.”

Fernando Prieto Lin, Senior

Fernando Prieto Lin says he was more flattered than surprised when Walt Jones ’20 sent him a job application to become a Student Activist Coordinator for Amnesty International. Jones had been active in Amnesty International before graduating, and now he was passing the torch. “Human rights have always been important to me,” Prieto Lin says. “Being able to make meaningful change around the world, not just around CA, sealed the deal. I didn’t think twice. I feel like my voice is finally being heard on a much larger scale.” Amnesty International, which won the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize, is a nonpartisan grassroots organization that works to preserve human rights and dignity around the world through protests and activism. “Since we are living with COVID, we have had to find many detours to achieve what’s important to us,” Prieto Lin says. “But what’s important hasn’t changed. “My job is to rally people in the community against different injustices that Amnesty brings to light. The goal here is to take action and create good, impactful change.” Prieto Lin says CA has helped him “cultivate leadership traits.” Partnered with fellow Seniors Sofie Rossman and leaders

and Ryan Gaghen, he presented at the 2020 PlatFORUM on the subject of climate change, seen through the lens of human rights. He is working to bring the ACLU to CA to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, and human rights. “Especially in times of COVID when people cannot see each other, a leader unifies people,” he says. “A leader doesn’t cause panic, but instead demonstrates essential goodness and encourages others to do the same.”

Third Grade Buddies

On a warm September Friday morning, Third Grade teacher Stephanie Stone led her class on a walk from the Lower School to the Pre-Kindergarten Casita. At the end of their journey they reached a milestone. The Third Graders lined up and, one by one, were matched as a Third Grade Buddy with a Pre-Kindergartner. For the Third Graders, this was a magical moment—their first opportunity to be official leaders at Colorado Academy. Not even a pandemic could stop it. “They have been asking every day since the beginning of school, ‘When do we get our buddies?’” says Stone. “This is their chance to become a caretaker, and they take their responsibilities very seriously.” Once matched, the small groups scattered with a writing activity, but before long, they were just having fun with the big blue blocks on the playground. Particularly for a Third Grader who is the youngest child in a family or an only child, this is an opportunity to mentor a younger child, but for all Third Graders, it’s the beginning of their role as CA leaders.

“That’s the big deal I make about it to them,” Stone says. “I ask them to remember what they liked when they had Third Grade buddies. We talk about making good choices and being role models.” With the pandemic, this year’s buddies will not go on field trips together. But despite COVID-19, the buddy tradition will continue, with many opportunities for CA’s youngest students to learn from its youngest leaders.

Oliver Dean, Junior

Oliver Dean has been a student at CA since Pre-Kindergarten. That was a year he does not remember, but in his own words, he describes how it altered his life forever.

“At CA, kindness is integral in the way students, faculty, coaches, everyone, treats each other. It starts in Pre-Kindergarten, when CA instills certain values in four-yearolds, teaching them that everyone deserves dignity, respect, and kindness. “When I was in Pre-K, my father died. I don’t have memories of being in school, but I have been told about how supportive and curious my classmates were at the time. They wanted to know how I was feeling, and how my mom was coping. Looking back on it, those

were exactly the right questions to ask. In a time of grief, loss, and sadness, CA was a support system—and then some— for my family. Even from a young age, students at CA are taught to be respectful of others, even if they don’t have a shared experience. “I would not say that my life has been defined by loss, but it has been shaped by loss. Being raised by a single woman has shaped my view of gender, sexuality, and driven me to seek equality for all, no matter their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or religion. The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake renewed my motivation. I remember learning about Emmett Till in the Fourth Grade when Ms. Kolsun Jackson had us read The Watsons go to Birmingham. She talked about how this very young boy was killed, even though he had done nothing wrong. “I feel connected to people from diverse backgrounds, because I am Jewish. For generations, my family has sought a just and equal society. I feel I should stand shoulder to shoulder with Black Americans who are fighting for equal rights. and leaders “I don’t have to fear walking out of my house and being shot for no reason, I don’t fear being denied access to education, health care, or civil rights, so I feel it’s my obligation to bridge the gap between different worlds.” n

Third Grade students met their Pre-Kindergarten buddies.