Dear Parents, Students, Faculty and Friends:

The school year has just come to an end and I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone. I hope that each and every one of you has a joyful and healthy summer season.

I ask that you take a few moments to review the information regarding multicultural education at O’Brien Technical High School. I have posted this on the website for your immediate review. Parents please spend some extra time with our Teaching Tolerance information and link below. If you require more information on this subject please feel free to contact me or any member of our school climate team at 203 732 -1800.

Lisa Hylwa, Principal O’Brien Technical High School

Multicultural Education at Emmett O’Brien Technical High School

Multiculturalism is a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society.

Vision:
People from many cultures and ethnicities work and live in the Lower Naugatuck Valley of Connecticut, necessitating a multicultural education which fosters inter-group knowledge and understanding and equips students to function effectively in a global society; and whereas, multicultural education values cultural pluralism and rejects the view that schools should seek to melt away cultural differences or merely tolerate cultural diversity; rather, multicultural education at O’Brien Technical High School accepts cultural diversity and equity as valuable resources that should be preserved and extended.

Goals:
• To understand that the path to an inclusive and multicultural school is two-fold. First, schools must address the diversity within the student population as well as within the faculty, staff and administration. A close look at diversity will include an evaluation of the school's mission and philosophy statements; student recruitment; admissions; school and community demographics; faculty hiring, retention and professional development; school climate; and home-school relationships.
• To develop in the students and staff of Emmett O’Brien will develop an understanding, appreciation, and awareness of the history, culture and contributions to society of the major cultural groups represented in our society.
• To ensure that students have the opportunities, access, resources and support needed to develop the knowledge, skills and work habits required to become productive members of a multicultural society.
• To infuse throughout the curriculum of Emmett O’Brien Technical High School information about the history, culture and contributions to society of the diverse groups which comprise our community along with instructional activities that support multicultural education.
We recognize the need for students as well as staff to possess and model respect for differences. Programming within the school will focus students and staff to internalize a specific character throughout the school year. These traits include responsibility, respect, perseverance, understanding, fairness, justice, honesty, consideration, sharing and kindness.

PARENT'S GUIDE

Teaching Tolerance at Home & in the Community - ADL

Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.tolerance.org

A Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.tolerance.org encourages people from all walks of life to "fight hate and promote tolerance."

The following quotation is excerpted from the Tolerance.org site:
"As Eleanor Roosevelt said, universal human rights begin in small places, close to home. The goal of nurturing open-minded, empathetic children is a challenging one. We offer resources to help Ñ- including a suite of online activities and a forum for parents and guardians to discuss the challenges of parenting for a diverse world."

What follows is a list, excerpted from http://www.tolerance.org/101_tools/home.html, to help parents teach tolerance in the home:
• Invite someone of a different background to join your family for a meal or holiday.
• Give a multicultural doll, toy or game as a gift.
• Assess the cultural diversity reflected in your home's artwork, music and literature. Add something new.
• Don't buy playthings that promote or glorify violence.
• Establish a high "comfort level" for open dialogue about social issues. Let children know that no subject is taboo.
• Bookmark equity and diversity websites on your home computer.
• Point out stereotypes and cultural misinformation depicted in movies, TV shows, computer games and other media.
• Take the family to an ethnic restaurant. Learn about more than just the food.
• Involve all members of the family in selecting organizations to support with charitable gifts.
• Gather information about local volunteer opportunities and let your children select projects for family participation.
• Play "action hero" with your children. Are the heroes all aggressive males? Help your children see the heroic qualities in those whose contributions often go unrecognized (e.g., nurses, bridge builders, volunteers in homeless shelters).
• Affirm your children's curiosity about race and ethnicity. Point out that people come in many shades.
• Help young children make an illustrated list of what friends do or what friendship means.
• Read books with multicultural and tolerance themes to your children.
• Watch what you say in front of children when you're angry. Curb your road rage.
• Watch how you handle emotional issues with girls and boys. Do you attempt to distract crying boys but reassure crying girls?
• Examine the "diversity profile" for your children's friends. Expand the circle by helping your children develop new relationships.
• Enroll your children in schools, daycare centers, after-school programs and camps that reflect and celebrate differences.
• Participate in a Big Brother or Big Sister program.
• Live in an integrated and economically diverse neighborhood.