November 12, 2007

Action Requested - Reprint from Superintendent's Bulletin

Action Requested: National Mix it Up at Lunch Day
11/9/2007 1:55 PM

TO:     All Staff

 

FROM:  Suzanne Kelly, Chief of Staff

              Yusef Mgeni, Director, Educational Equity

 

RE:  National Mix it Up at Lunch Day

 

 

On November 13^th, the Saint Paul Schools will participate in the National Mix it Up at Lunch Day. Mix it Up at Lunch is a simple plan: take a new seat in the cafeteria. By moving to a place where they don’t normally sit, students can begin to create a school environment that is less segregated by groups and cliques.

 

Out for Equity Middle School Project is helping to facilitate Mix it Up at Lunch Day at three area middle schools.  We hope all schools will participate in this valuable day. Here are some suggested ways you can participate:

 

• Post signs in hallways and cafeteria letting students know that Mix It Up Day is coming soon and ways they can participate.
• Leading up to November 13^th, have daily announcements to introduce the concept of Mix it Up at Lunch Day.  You may want to include a new fact each day.  Below are some ideas:

 

Mix it Up at Lunch Day will take place in your school on November 13^th.  This national event encourages students to take a new seat in the cafeteria to increase diversity and respect.

 

70% of students named the cafeteria as the place in the school where social boundaries are most clearly drawn.

 

40% of students admitted that they had rejected someone from their group.

Everyone will be in the same boat on the 13th--a little nervous about changing it up.  You're not alone!

 

• Set up an informational table in the cafeteria the day before Mix It Up Day to let students know what to expect and have an opportunity to ask questions.

• Get students interested in Mix it Up Day by having a raffle where those students who pledge to participate in the day have a chance to win prizes like a pizza lunch.
• Have members of student groups such as National Honor Society, Student Council, or AVID take an active role in planning for the day and in spreading the word.
• On the actual day, provide conversation starters on each cafeteria table to lessen student’s anxiety about talking to a new person.
• Consider using one of the classroom lesson plans in advisory to begin a conversation about tolerance, respect and diversity in your school.  The “Acceptance and Rejection” lesson and the “Homeroom Interview” may be good choices.  You can find the lessons at: http://www.tolerance.org/teach/mix_it_up/classroom.jsp

 
Visit www.mixitup.org for more information about the event as well as downloads for posters, classroom lessons, and planning ideas. Feel free to contact Miriam Itzkowitz at Out for Equity, miriam.itzkowitz@spps.org.

Requests for Student Teacher Placement

Hamline is looking for an one elementary and one secondary student teacher placement.  Each is four weeks and is for two different students.  If you are interested in working with a student teacher, please contact your TOSA or Greg Anderson (greg.anderson@spps.org)

List of Children's Bilingual Books by Language

What is the connection between a French Immersion school, ELL students, and Books for Africa?  When ELL Teacher Christi Schmitt and Sixth Grade Teacher Audrey Gagnaire of L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion School discovered that the 10,000 square foot warehouse of an international non-profit called Books for Africa was less than a mile from their school, they embarked on a service-learning collaboration.  They invited the Books for Africa Director of Development, Carole Patrikakos, to speak to the sixth graders, in French and English, about the schools and libraries in Africa who are in need of books.  This set the wheels in motion of a sixth grade community partnership to develop an action plan that met their academic goals.  Students researched Francophone countries, wrote flyers for book requests, letter writing, grant writing, interviewed Books for Africa employees, mailed press releases, and recorded observations and reflections in their Writer's Notebook.  

In October, after weeks of collecting and sorting books, sixth graders walked to the Books for Africa warehouse to volunteer a day's work packing and shipping books abroad.  The 19th Annual National Service-Learning Conference review committee informed the sixth graders that their workshop proposal has been selected for this year's conference, Youth for a Change, April 9-12, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Sixth graders are making plans to share the lessons they've learned at the conference by presenting a DVD documentary of their experiences and a photo display with research and reflections on the book famine in Africa.

Final Refuge

Karen immigrants describe their harrowing journeys from the brutality of Burma to sanctuary in St. Paul

Final Refuge

By Rhena Tantisunthorn

Read the entire article in the Citypages.

"My family had a farm outside of our village in the jungle. The Burmese soldiers accused us of being spies [for the resistance]. They said that if we continued farming there, they would put us in the house on the farm, tie us up, and set the house on fire. My brother continued farming."

Sitting on the carpeted floor of her apartment in St. Paul's North End, Mu Gay looks toward the ceiling as she remembers her life as a Karen villager living under the Burmese military dictatorship. "One day, Karen soldiers in the resistance in the jungle asked my brother to bring them some rice. He went back to the village and told the village leaders what the Karen soldiers wanted, but he didn't return to the soldiers. He didn't bring anything to them. The Burmese Army found out that he had contact with the Karen soldiers. They arrested him. There was no investigation. The Burmese soldiers took him outside of the village. They told him to dig his own grave and then they shot and killed him."

read more

Gryphon Press - Free Children's Books

The Gryphon Press is dedicated to publishing picture books for children that explore the
human-animal bond. The books feature themes of animal advocacy and animal well-being and teach empathy and communication.  

The Gryphon Press is able to donate books to schools and nonprofit organizations,
though postage payment or pickup is required. A short evaluation is also required.
Titles available are:

At the Dog Park with Sam and Lucy
Buddy Unchained (an award winning book)
Max Talks to Me (a classroom guide is available online)
Are You Ready for Me?

For more information contact Debbie Meister at 651.647.6816 or meisterd@qwest.net or visit www.thegryphonpress.com. To receive copies of one or more titles, please complete this request form.

Debbie Meister
651.647.6816

Book Request Form

A Taste of Many Cultures

a multicultural evening of learning, food, music, dance & fun.

MCDC is pleased to partner with Cub Foods to host another expanded version of its annual Taste of Many Cultures Event, featuring more entertainment, more authentic multicultural food and more opportunities to learn about the cultures in our global community.


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007
5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Crowne Plaza, St. Paul Riverfront
Minnesota Ballroom (lower level)
11 East Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul , Minnesota

For driving directions, visit www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/mspsp/transportation

$5.00 event parking available at the Capital City Plaza Ramp & Crowne Plaza Parking Ramp.


PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

FOOD
Favorite ethnic foods, courtesy of Cub Foods and Twin Cities-area restaurants, from all corners of the world, including:

• India and South Asia
• Europe
• North Africa
• Central Asia
• Southeast Asia
• West Africa
• The Middle East
• Latin America
• African American

Featuring professional chefs, courtesy of Cub, who will cook multicultural dishes - - live at the event!

ART
Multicultural arts displays featuring original art work from around the world

ENTERTAINMENT
Multicultural entertainment including:

Brass Messengers is a Minneapolis/St. Paul group of ten that plays any sort of music they can fit into their horns. Based around the Gypsy Brass styles of Romania, they have added their own take on American Country Music, Latin American Dance Rythms and Afro-Pop.

El Raices is an Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance ensemble based out of El Arco Iris Center for the Performing Arts. The group consists of 10 members ranging from the ages of 14-21 who express their art and culture through Bomba dance. Bomba is the music from Northern Puerto Rica; it was originally performed by the slave population and resounds with the rhythms of Africa.

Larry Yazzie is an international lecturer, educator, performer, and world champion fancy dancer. Raised on the Meskwaki Indian Settlement in Central Iowa, Larry was taught the traditions of the Meskwaki People, including the flamboyant and energetic fancy dance with colorful regalia and the northern Plains style of singing.

Indonesian Performing Arts Association of Minnesota (IPAAM) illuminate the arts and culture of Indonesia by creating artistic experiences in which all ages may participate. The Sumunar Gamelan & Dance Ensembles delight audiences in unexpected ways.

Yawo is a native of Togo, West Africa, who started his musical career in Lome where he developed a talent for composing and arranging music that embraces both the traditions of the Ewe tribe and the influences of the western civilization. His music is an explosion of afrobeat, afrofunk, and reggae.

Michael Hauser is one of a handful of flamenco guitar masters residing in the United States today, and is sometimes referred to as "The Father of Flamenco in the Midwest." Flamenco, a genuine Spanish art form originating from the Andalusia region, embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition.

Tou Ger Xiong is a native of Laos, who created Project Respectism in 1996 as an educational service project that uses comedy, storytelling, and rap music to bridge cultures and generations. Professionals refer to him as the first Hmong comedian, bilingual storyteller, and consultant on multicultural issues. Young people know him as the Hmong version of Chris Rock, Jim Carey, and Snoop Doggy Dogg all stir-fried into one.

Registration deadline: November 30, 2007
Due to the popularity of this event, registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC)
9633 Lyndale Avenue South
Bloomington , MN 55420
Tel: 952-881-6090
Fax: 952-887-6099
E-mail: info@mcdc.org

REGISTRATION: Annual Taste of Many Cultures Event (cost includes all you can eat multicultural food, entertainment and fun!)
[ ] Enclosed is my check, payable to MCDC
[ ] Please send an invoice to the address below
[ ] I would like to charge my credit card; register and pay online with MasterCard or Visa at https://www.sharingdiversity.com/event-register.php
(Tickets can also be purchased at the service counter of your local Cub Foods store.)
Regular admission...............$20.00
Students.............................$15.00

Name:
Organization:
Address:
City/State/Zip Code:
Telephone:
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Guest(s):
To request an accommodation, please contact MCDC