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Dear Baker Families,
Tomorrow, the halls and spaces of Baker will be uncharacteristically quiet as many will be supporting the LGBTQ+ community by remaining silent for all or part of the day. The Day of Silence is a national event sponsored by our middle school GSA and one of the ways this group of young leaders use their voices to educate and advocate. This week, the GSA members have been visiting classrooms with our Rainbow Library cart, talking about the day, reading picture books with LGBTQ+ storylines and characters and inviting them to participate. All students have the choice to participate for a minute, an hour, or the whole day. They can also demonstrate allyship by respecting the choices of their peers even if they are not silent.
Our theme for this year is “A Day of Silence, a Lifetime of Action”. While we encourage our students to be upstanders and use their voice, this one day is a day where our silence is loud. The lack of noise, chatter and laughter helps to build empathy for how many students feel silenced because they fear being bullied if they live their authentic lives, love who they love, embrace their true gender or express themselves in a way that feels right to them.
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On this day, I commit to being silent and must structure my classes so that my students can still have full participation without having to use my voice. This is a challenge, but as an educator and GSA advisor, this is a day of reflection and a recommitment to action for me . All teachers and staff will support the students by respecting their right to be silent. After we “break the silence” is a great opportunity for our students to also reflect on their experience, how it felt and gain a deeper sense of empathy and understanding which hopefully will lead to action in their lives. I encourage all families to continue these conversations at home.
Why is this important? As I write this, the ACLU is tracking 484 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.. 82% of LGBTQ+ teens have experienced first hand bullying and harassment in their school. Books are being banned with LGBTQ+ characters and trans girls and boys are being banned from bathrooms, health care and playing fields just to name a few examples. We all have roles to play and each of us gets to decide how we use or don't use our voice.
In solidarity,
Julie Toole (she/her)
Art Teacher
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April 12
Day of Silence - See details below
Middle School Dance at 6:00 p.m.
April 14
Human Library 1:30 p.m. - See details below
April 20
TEDxWilmette at Baker 1:00 p.m. - See details below
April 26
Faculty/Staff Institute Day - No School/ BASE Available
Now Available: The 2024-2025 major dates calendar is here.
Baker's public calendar at bakerdemschool.org/calendar
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BASE Bonus Days This Spring | |
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BASE is offering care for the upcoming school days off. Morning Care is available to all registrants, while BASE aftercare is limited to those who have a current BASE Care Package registration for Spring. No after school enrichments will run on these days.
Where do I sign up? Click HERE to access the registration page. All spring BASE days are open for registration.
Spring Bonus Day Specials
April 26 - Institute Day
- Full Day Care (8:15 - 3:15 pm)
- Print Shop Clinics
- Fun Swim (Kinder - 8th)
May 10 - Grandparents/Special Friends Day
- Half Day Care (11:30-3:15 pm)
- Fun Swim (Kinder - 8th)
Questions? Please contact Erin at esteiner@bakerdemschool.org or at ext. 5823.
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Baker Yearbook - Create Your Custom Pages | |
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Create your 2 free custom yearbook pages by 4/30.
Add all of your memories to your two free personal pages that will be printed in your unique copy of the Baker yearbook.
- Add Photos
- Sign Books
- Add Memories
- Design Your Page
Instructions are also on the PDF.
1 Go to: www.treering.com/validate
2 Enter your school’s passcode: 1015572403981601
You do not need to purchase a yearbook. Each student receives a yearbook.
Questions? Contact Curry Berg cberg@bakerdemschool.org.
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Day of Silence - Friday 4/12 | |
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My Silence, My Action.
The GLSEN Day of Silence is a national student-led demonstration where LGBTQ students and allies all around the country - and the world - take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.
Why are we participating in the Day of Silence? What is the history?
This event was first initiated by a 5th grade student in 2015. With support from her teacher, she shared with her peers why she wanted to participate in the Day of Silence, and a number of her classmates joined her. Although this student is now in college, our Middle School Gender Sexuality Alliance has taken it upon themselves to continue this advocacy and organize the Day of Silence. Baker students are encouraged to stand up for what is right and speak up for those who have no voice.
Are there statistics to support the need for Day of Silence?
The effects of victimization and discrimination are far reaching and long lasting. By having this event at Baker, we are bringing awareness and continuing to teach students about being upstanders rather than bystanders. In the last few years, there has been an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and legislation as well as attacks on the rights of transgender students. The ACLU is currently tracking 430 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US. We stand with the LGBTQ+ community.
Who is sponsoring the event?
This event is sponsored by the Baker GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) and their advisors.
What is the Baker GSA?
The GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) is a middle school club that is open to all. It provides a safe space for students to connect, learn and be supportive of each other while educating and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. The GSA advisors are Ms. Toole, Art teacher; Dr. C, Music teacher, and Ms. Crawford, Technology and Maker Space teacher.
How are teachers supporting the Day of Silence at Baker?
All the staff at Baker will honor students' choices regarding participation in DOS. Students will be engaged in normal classroom activities and learning on that day. Teachers will curate activities that students who are silent can fully participate in.
Every student may choose whether to participate and their level of participation. There is no pressure to participate but we will ask that all students demonstrate allyship by respecting the students who are silent. Some students will choose to be silent the entire day; others may choose to be silent for a part of the day.
Baker teachers will work with their individual classes to create a meaningful experience for their classroom community in an age-appropriate way. It may be as simple as reading a story or observing one minute of silence. Walking through the halls of Baker on the Day of Silence is a powerful experience as we reflect on how it might feel not to have your voice heard and why our silence can be loud.
Additional Information
School Climate for LGBTQ+ Students in Illinois
The Freedom to Speak (or not) by Lambda Legal
Mapping legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by the ACLU
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Human Library at Baker on Sun 4/14 - RSVP | |
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Join a worldwide movement for social change---right here at Baker!
Sunday, April 14
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Baker Library
On Sunday, April 14th, The Human Library® will be returning to Baker, with a shelf of human “books” who are ready to enter into conversation with Baker students and their families. Each book represents a group in our society that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin, etc. Human “books” are volunteers who are on loan to readers to share their personal experiences and identities. They provide insights into various perspectives. For example: what’s it like to be transracially adopted? To have a physical disability? To be asexual? The Human Library® creates a safe space for dialogue where topics are discussed openly between the human books and their readers, creating a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices. Difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered, and a discussion space will be available for Baker folks to share their learning with each other.
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Human Library 'Books' for this Event | |
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Transracially Adopted - the process of placing a child who is of one race or ethnic group with adoptive parents of another race or ethnic group.
Physical Disability - A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. Physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders, blindness, epilepsy and sleep disorders.
Asexual - A person who does not experience sexual attraction. Asexual describes people who may want to cuddle and kiss their crushes, but don't want more physical things to happen.
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Mexican-American - Americans of full or partial Mexican descent.
Victim of Bullying – “As a white woman growing up in a low-income, multiracial environment for most of my life, people assume that my outside appearance tells the story of who I really am. Bullying, racism, sexism, misogyny, and other abuse were the reality of my experiences. But those are not the end of my tale.”
Vietnam Veteran - A member of the armed forces sent to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, an undeclared war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975.
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Be ready to wear your Baker GSA shirt for Day of Silence on Friday, April 12.
Need one? Shirts are available for $20 each and come in adult sizes S-2XL. They run a bit small and are 100% cotton. We have a limited supply so please fill out this form if you would like one for your child or for yourself! You can send cash in an envelope, drop off cash or check in the office or use Baker Venmo @BakerDem Proceeds will support Baker GSA.
Questions? Please feel free to reach out to GSA Advisors: Becky Crawford, Shane Courville, Julie Toole
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We are thrilled to host TEDxWilmette for a 2nd year. On April 20th from 1-3pm, TEDxWilmette will be recording 6 live TEDx talks in the Baker School auditorium. Limited tickets are available for $75 and can be purchased at www.tedxwilmette.com. Featured talks are:
- Tayyaba Ali: How To Be The Innovator The World Needs
- Lizzie Docel: Beyond The Buzzword: How AI Can Help Us Unlock Understanding and Connection in a Diverse World
- AJ Goehle: Leaving Imprints: The Transformative Power of In-Person Experiences
- Lisa Rachelle Owens: Embrace Your Unapologetic Third Act
- Charlie Saffro: Business IS Personal — Prioritizing People Pays Off
- Rachel Douglas Swanson: Reimagine Education: Technology Is The Unexpected Ally in the Classroom
More information about the speakers is available at http://www.tedxwilmette.com/speakers.
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BPO Community Service Spotlight - Earth Week 2024 | | |
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The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans from all walks of life, giving birth to a broad new movement to protect the planet.
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward.
Earth Day is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event each year.
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For Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd, EARTHDAY.ORG is unwavering in their commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040.
Please join the Baker Community in commemorating the 54th annual Earth Week by working in one of our three gardens and participating in a beach cleanup.
Please click on this Sign Up Genius to volunteer!
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The 2024 Annual Baker 5K event is coming up on Friday, May 24, 2024 at Gillson Park. We are so grateful to have volunteers every year to help make this wonderful all school event happen!
We are looking for volunteers for:
- Setup
- Chef/Food Prep
- Post Race Fuel Station
- Water Station
- Take Down
Please Signup Now for one of the available volunteer shifts.
Questions? Contact Rachael Ross at rross@bakerdemschool.org.
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This is a chance to socialize with other parents and hear short updates from the BPO Teams. No RSVP is needed, just drop in. We would love for you to
attend. Thank you to the 4th grade room parents for hosting!
April AM BPO Meeting
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Baker Cafeteria
Questions contact bpo@bakerdemschool.org.
**We're looking for hosts for the May BPO Meetings on Wed. 5/8 & Wed. 5/29 - sign up here.
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Save the Date: June 4th for the Baker End of Year Picnic | |
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Please save the date for Baker’s End of the Year Picnic Tuesday, June 4th from 5-7 at the Baker Field, and join us in celebration of another successful year at Baker.
Feel free to bring a nut-free picnic, blankets and/chairs, and whatever else you might like to have for fun in the sun. There will also be music and a Kona Ice* truck!
If you would like to help plan this event please reach out to Justin Travis at allowishes@gmail.com.
*Kona Ice is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free. Some allergens are on premises. Allergen Information.
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The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens
April 16, 2024
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
On ZOOM
ELLEN GALINSKY
President of Families and Work Institute
MATTHEW MONTGOMERY, PH.D.
Superintendent of Lake Forest School Districts 67 and 115 in Illinois
Many assumptions about adolescents are just plain wrong, argues Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and former chief science officer at the Bezos Family Foundation and one of the foremost child development experts in the world. In The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens, she challenges and debunks the many myths, misunderstandings, and stereotypes about adolescents while weaving research-tested ways to influence them for success during these impressionable and transformative years.
Galinsky, the author of the best-selling Mind in the Making, set out to uncover the best strategies for raising thriving teens by interviewing and studying a nationally representative group of 1,666 adolescents (ages 9 to 19) and their parents, asking “What would you like to tell the adults of America about people your age?” Compelling, informative, and eye-opening, The Breakthrough Years is the culmination of this seven-year study into the adolescent brain and behavior.
Galinsky will be in conversation with Matthew Montgomery, Ph.D., superintendent of Lake Forest School Districts 67 and 115 in Illinois. A proponent of lifelong learning, Dr. Montgomery is also the Lead Superintendent for Cohort and Partner Connections with the School Superintendents Association (AASA), co-chairs the AASA STEM Leadership Consortium.
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