Talking to Children About Racism and Teaching Tolerance

June 4, 2020

Dear Families,

In the last few months, we have been witness to the very best of humanity. The response of healthcare staff and essential workers to the COVID-19 pandemic has been amazing and has brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. People have been risking their lives in the service of others, and we have all done our part to social distance and drive the number of coronavirus infections down.

Sadly, in the last few weeks, we have also seen the dark side of humanity. There have been awful acts of racial injustice that have led to pain, sadness, and anger. These terrible acts have also brought tears and trauma to many.

These acts are not something I believe our school can address in a distance learning forum, so I encourage you to talk with your children about what is happening all across the country, as you feel is developmentally appropriate for them. The guide below even has activities for our youngest students.

Here are some resources that may be of interest to aid you in talking with your child(ren):

•Talking about trauma and racial incidents (UPenn GSE)
https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/talking-children-after-racial-incidents

•A guide on teaching about racism and civil unrest (Teaching Tolerance)
https://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/beyond_golden_rule.pdf

•A deeper understanding of race and privilege (National Association of School Psychologists)
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/diversity/social-justice/understanding-race-and-privilege

The student-created Village School Constitution has four tenets: Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Respectful, and Have Fun! We are committed to those tenets, both here at the school and beyond. We hope and teach for a more equitable world for all. 

Sincerely,
Tim Newbold
Head of School

The Village School of North Bennington

“Children are at the heart of all we do.”

phone: 802-442-5955 ext. 201

email: tnewbold@vsnb.org

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