Images: After the Bell end-of-year carnival at Kendall Elementary School!
Juneteenth to become the nation's 11th federal holiday
The House voted 415-14 to make June 19, or Juneteenth, a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., the first new federal holiday created by Congress in nearly four decades.
President Biden will sign the bill into law this afternoon.
Of course, Juneteenth is a day the Carver community has long celebrated.
Publishers throughout the North responded to a demand for copies of Lincoln’s proclamation and produced numerous decorative versions, including this engraving by R. A. Dimmick in 1864. National Museum of American History, gift of Ralph E. Becker
Here is a list of 10 Juneteenth celebrations in Connecticut this weekend.
The law will give the day the same status as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and other federal holidays.
Juneteenth would be the first federal holiday to be created by Congress since 1983, when lawmakers designated the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in honor of the slain civil-rights leader.
Juneteenth—also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day and Jubilee Day—marks the 1865 date when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with federal troops in Galveston, Texas, and issued an order freeing the nation’s last slaves. The ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865 abolished slavery throughout the entire country.
The June 19 holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. is already celebrated as a state or ceremonial holiday in 47 states (including Connecticut) and the District of Columbia. When Biden signs the bill, June 19 will become the country's 11th federal holiday.
U.S. Department of Education Equity Summit Series: Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools
The U.S. Department of Education is excited to announce the first of the Education Equity Summit Series. This first installment will take place virtually on June 22, 2021. This summit will feature panel discussions focused on best practices for building an equitable environment in our schools, and remarks from individuals who are working to make those equitable schools a reality.
The first installment of the Education Equity Summit Series will feature:
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten
Pedro Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier School of Education
Baruti Kafele, former principal from Newark, NJ
Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (and a past Carver Child of America honoree!)
Rosemarie Eller, Board President, White Plains Public Schools
Melito Ramirez, Intervention Specialist, Walla Walla High School, Walla Walla, WA and 2021 RISE Award Winner
Olivia Carter, School Counselor, Jefferson Elementary School, Cape Girardeau, MO and 2021 School Counselor of the Year
Alejandro Diasgranados, Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Teacher, Aiton Elementary School and 2021 Washington, D.C. Teacher of the Year
Carver's Eric Day named to the Dean's List and much else at Lasell University!
Eric “EJ” Day
Lasell Dean’s List
Eric Day is repeatedly named to the Lasell University Dean's List for his academic performance, most recently in the Spring 2021 semester. To be named to the Dean's List, Lasell students must achieve a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher. Eric, Class of 2022, is majoring in Criminal Justice.
Chi Alpha Sigma (XA)
Eric was also inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, founded in 1996 by then DePauw University head football coach Nick Mourouzis. His goal was to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime.
In order to be inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must attend a four-year accredited college or university that is a member of the NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA, or USCAA. The honoree also must achieve at least junior academic standing by the fifth semester or seventh quarter, as determined by the certifying institution, and must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of a 3.4 (on a 4.0 scale).
Lasell Basketball
Eric plays guard for Lasell’s basketball team, the Lasers. Eric is a team starter and is an All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference Third Team selection.
"We are very thankful to be playing games this season," said Lasell veteran head coach Aaron Galletta. "The players' commitment to the program and to getting better each day has not changed, despite the current conditions. The team has been adhering to all local and campus health and safety protocols and we are very anxious to get back onto the court in these upcoming games. It is a great opportunity for these players to compete against outside competition, and for our fans to see our returning players back in action and to welcome some new faces as well."
At Brien McMahon High School, Eric also played football. As well as being the team’s Captain, hIs role on the field was as a shut-down defensive back and as a big play wideout. Through two senior games, he scored three of McMahon’s four touchdowns while making seven catches for 211 yards — a 30.1 yard per catch average. His touchdown receptions have measured 74, 26 and 56 yards.
Brien McMahon High School & Carver
Eric was a scholar-athlete (basketball and football) at Brien McMahon High School as well.
Eric was a longtime after-school and summer Carver student.
In the years before college Eric worked as a Carver summer camp counselor and was deeply involved in the Carver community.
TD Bank partners with First Book to launch a new Juneteenth initiative
First Book, a nonprofit dedicated to educational equity as a path out of poverty, launched Black Kids Matter, an initiative designed to amplify, celebrate and empower the voices of Black children. As part of the initiative, First Book will distribute 17,000 culturally relevant books that showcase diverse characters, voices, and life experiences to children of color, thanks to TD Bank.
The campaign is being introduced in recognition of Juneteenth (June 19th), a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Here is more information on how to participate from First Book and TD Bank.
Those who participate in this initiative by submitting multimedia responses from the kids they serve by June 17, 2021, will receive a $100 credit to the Diversity & Inclusion section of the First Book Marketplace to thank you for your effort, courtesy of TD Bank.
In addition to collecting these creative responses, we're working together to distribute credits for books in your community. If you serve kids from low-income families, create your free First Book account to be notified when this and other funding opportunities are available!
If you have any questions, please contact First Book Member Services at help@firstbook.org. We look forward to celebrating alongside you and amplifying the voices of the children you serve!
—Your friends at First Book and TD Bank
Black Kids Matter kicked off in seven states across the Eastern seaboard last month, where educators encouraged their students to express the many ways that Black and Brown kids are special. Those educators submitted a wonderful array of videos, drawings, writing and poetry expressing the voices of the kids of color they serve. A selection of that content can be viewed here.
As part of the campaign, the TD Ready Commitment is enabling First Book to make books available for students in pre-K through grade 12. The books are being distributed throughout June, just in time for children to have on hand for summer reading.
To learn more about the Black Kids Matter Initiative, click here.
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues, and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion (U.S. $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident - not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.
See Cranbury After the Bell students enjoying end of school year fun activities!
Tahnee Serrano is our before and after-school program coordinator who makes sure our Cranbury Elementary School After the Bell students are thriving academically and in social-emotional ways as well.
“Blues and Beyond,” a live concert and two Zoom sessions to commemorate Juneteenth
“Blues and Beyond” is a three-part foray into America’s Black music heritage in commemoration of Juneteenth, announced by Norwalk Public Library.
1. A live outdoor “Blues and Beyond” concert featuring Saige Bryan (vocals), Eric Finland (organ), Noe’ Socha (guitar & harmonica), and Moses Patrou (drums) will take place on Saturday, June 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the SoNo Branch Library, 10 Washington St., Norwalk. The concert will be preceded at noon by a proclamation put forth by Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, remarks from local officials, and a poetry reading.
2. A Zoom exploration of field hollers, gospel music, and New Orleans tradition will be narrated by session musician/vocalist/drummer Adam Taylor on Tuesday, June 15 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. A Q & A will be included.
3. A Zoom “blues and rock’n’roll master class” conducted by Adam Taylor and guitarist/harmonica player Noe’ Socha is planned for Tuesday, June 22 from 6 to 7:45 p.m.
5th Grade Scholars Program students at Brookside Elementary School have an ice cream party!
Carver’s 5th Grade Scholars Program helps elementary school students to successfully transition to middle school. This transition can otherwise be a difficult and stressful experience for students. With the support of parents, teachers, and administrators, this program also includes a summer transition program for some of the rising 6th graders in their respective middle schools.
New Seal Exhibit Unveiled At Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium is a longtime Carver before and after-school and summer program partner.
They are integral to our STEAM project-based and hands-on learning experiences and they regularly provide our students with access to the aquarium itself.
We are excited about their new "Pinniped Cove," home for the Maritime Aquarium's harbor seals. It is the largest aquatic display in the aquarium's 33-year history.
The harbor seals have always been a big attraction at the Maritime Aquarium since its opening in 1988, so much so that the aquarium's logo even pays tribute to them.
Now the aquarium's five seals, Ariel, Leila, Polly, Rasal, and Tillie, have more room to swim and relax in an area meant to evoke their natural environment: a classic New England cove.
The seals' original home was mainly a pool with straight walls, with one side of the pool inside the facility and one outside. Now guests can view the seals underwater from the cavernous bottom half of the two-level exhibit, or head upstairs to see the seals traverse around or lounge upon the exhibit's fabricated rock work.
The 22-foot deep exhibit holds 160,000 gallons of water and is over eight times larger than the seals' original 19,000-gallon exhibit, where they had lived since the aquarium's opening.
Pinniped Cove is also nearly 50 percent larger than the aquarium's popular 110,000-gallon, 18-foot-deep shark exhibit, which was previously the facility's largest display.
The construction of the seal exhibit and the 4D theater represents a unique collaborative effort by the state, the city of Norwalk, and the aquarium to address the impacts of the upcoming replacement of the Walk Bridge, a 125-year-old railroad bridge adjacent to the aquarium.
The project required razing the aquarium's former IMAX theater and replacing the original seal habitat, which was partially outdoors, to ensure the seals and aquarium guests can enjoy a secure indoor habitat protected from the construction noise just yards away.
The state provided $40 million in funding and the city managed the capital construction project for the aquarium to compensate for the loss of those signature assets.
That the Maritime Aquarium staff and city completed the project in the midst of a global pandemic is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in making this one of the nation’s most important aquariums.
USDE to hold virtual summit on 6/22 on addressing the inequitable impact of the pandemic
In April, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Beverly Hills Middle School in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, where he spoke with students. (Pete Bannan / MediaNews Group / Daily Times / Getty Images)
The U.S. Department of Education will hold a virtual summit on June 22 — the first in a series of events focused on addressing the inequitable impact of the pandemic on students of color and other high-need groups.
Setting the stage for the conversation, the department’s Office for Civil Rights released a report Wednesday, summarizing what it calls a “developing story” of how the shift to remote learning and the public health crisis widened disparities in students’ access to a quality education.
Drawing on existing surveys, research and assessment data, the report recapped how vulnerable groups, including English learners, students with disabilities and LGBTQ students, faced significant barriers to learning before the pandemic, only to be further cut off from the support they needed during school closures. The report comes the same week as a public hearing on Title IX and follows last week’s announcement that the Office for Civil Rights will accept public comments on discrimination in school discipline, offering further evidence that an arm of the department that was downsized during the previous administration is leading much of the agenda so far under Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
The department also released guidance for how states and districts can implement the “maintenance of equity” provision of the American Rescue Plan, which is intended to prevent budget and staffing cuts at high-poverty schools.
The upcoming summit, guidance and report comply with an executive order President Joe Biden issued when he took office, directing federal agencies to examine the challenges facing underserved communities.
Offering 11 observations of the pandemic’s impact on students, the report noted “worrisome signs” that academic performance has fallen below per-pandemic levels, that nearly all students have experienced mental health challenges and that gay, lesbian and transgender students have been at increased risk of isolation, harassment or abuse.
“Those who went into the pandemic with the fewest opportunities are at risk of leaving with even less,” the report said.
The event later this month will focus on how students can influence the schools they attend, continuing Cardona’s emphasis on student voice. He’s met with students during school visits, featured students during his school reopening summit in March and held a roundtable discussion with homeless youth in April.
Other speakers at the summit will include Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, Pedro Noguera, dean of education at the University of Southern California, and Olivia Carter, the 2021 School Counselor of the Year.