Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1

Welcome to BCSS first edition of our Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter

Guiding Principle of Diversity and Inclusion The Buford City School System believes in creating and maintaining a safe, caring, and mutually respectful and inclusive environment where all students, staff, and families are valued for their diverse cultural heritages.

Buford City Schools Diversity and Inclusion Advisory and Service Councils BCSS has two Diversity and Inclusion Councils that meet monthly and bi-monthly. Members of the councils have opportunities to participate in meaningful discussions related to recognizing and celebrating the diversity within our schools and communities. The community council met with Dr. Downs during the September meeting to give input and suggestions on the current Code of Conduct.

Diversity and Inclusion Council Mission: The mission of the council is to foster the advancement of the community by creating a culture for equity and inclusiveness that embraces, respects and values the differences of others.

20th Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference On November 2nd, students from BMS and BHS attended the 20th Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference at Emory University. The day began with motivational speakers who inspired the students with their personal stories of success. As students toured the beautiful campus of Emory University, they learned about career opportunities, visited a college fair, and participated in other educational activities. BCSS is grateful for Anna Misley, Susan Nabors, Lynda Fouquette, Officer Garcia, Carmen Torres and Elena Vo for their leadership and support of our students.

Buford High School

Hispanic Food Tasting The Spanish for Native Speakers classes of Buford High school and their teacher Mrs. Carmen Torres, along with Assistant Principal Elena Vo, presented an exhibition of traditional dishes to honor, recognize and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The purpose of the activity was to promote the Hispanic culture through the tasting of authentic traditional foods prepared by students and their families. The activity was attended by teachers and school staff who had the opportunity to taste foods from different Hispanic countries. The Spanish for Native Speakers class focuses on developing writing and reading skills in the students' native language and promotes the culture of the different Hispanic countries. This is the first year that Spanish for Native Speakers is offered at BHS.

Buford Elementary Students at BES presented their cultural projects on October 17 and 18. Students were proud to share posters that showed their families' culture and heritage.

Buford Academy First and Second grade ESOL students wrote biographies about famous Hispanic Americans in ESOL. Students worked with partners using PebbleGo to research different Hispanic Americans. They also participated in conversations about where they all come from, where many of their family members live now, and the important customs and traditions that come from their different cultures.

Ayush Bhargav Nagaraj enjoyed learning about Italy. The Onyemelukwe Family attended BSA's International Night on October 17.

International Night was held on October 17 at Buford Academy. Students and their families learned fun facts about countries from around the world. Mrs. Hogle and Smith's class worked together to create a display about Russia for International Night.

Buford Senior Academy Did you know there is an American Sign Language Club at BSA? Mrs. Jan Clark started learning American Sign Language when she was younger. She always loved the language. A few years ago she noticed there were some hearing impaired parents and students in our district. She was able to help them communicate. It was so rewarding! So, this year she started an American Sign Language (ASL) Club to share her love of ASL with students at BSA. The response has been overwhelming! Parents are learning along with their children. Students are looking forward to an upcoming visit from parents who use ASL in their every day lives. There are currently 35 students enrolled in the BSA-ASL Club . Mrs. Clark says, "I want to take students on an adventure into the wonderful world of ASL. I hope to teach them to communicate using hands, bodies, and faces instead of just our voices. In this introduction to ASL we are learning the alphabet, simple signing, and even learning to sing in ASL. The BSA-ASL Club is an after-school club focused on sign language skills and deaf awareness. We are here to provide an opportunity for hearing students to learn more about how to communicate and socialize with the hearing impaired community in order to grow closer together."

Buford Middle School

Meet Kertchie Joseph, a 6th grader at BMS. Her native country is Haiti. To help her language arts teacher, Mrs. Barnes, Kertchie made a French Creole lesson booklet. It is two pages of French Creole translated into English. What a beautiful example of how comfortable a student felt to teach her teacher her native language. Thank you Mrs. Barnes for showing interest in your students' languages and finding ways to make them feel proud, valued and included in your classes. And what a wonderful way for Kertchie to share something so precious with her teacher.

Mrs. Waller's class had so much fun carving pumpkins!

Custodians Participate in Diversity and Inclusion Training

Feature Heading On October 11, the district custodians participated in a diversity and inclusion training. Activities included small group discussions that allowed them to get to know and appreciate the different cultures, languages and traditions represented on the staff. Thank you to Flora Contreras for serving as our interpreter.