Gallaudet Protest

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Thank you for your continuous support and understanding of the current event that has made a direct impact on our school. This is a sensitive and, for some, emotional issue revolving around the current protest at Gallaudet University.

Gallaudet University has been on the news and in the newspaper daily. The impact is greater on our students because they drive by the campus daily and see events unfolding right in front of their eyes. We are sensitive to this and we want to make sure that we address this in the most appropriate way.

As a school, we are working hard to ensure that we are providing our students with both perspectives. Students are learning about what a protest means. Students are learning about how people have different beliefs and perspectives on different issues. Our students are asking many good questions and they have been sharing information from what they’ve seen on the news, internet and newspapers daily. Our teachers and staff members are doing a wonderful job of making sure that both perspectives are shared. Our school counselors and social worker have been available to meet with students who need their services.

It was unfortunate that Kendall students had to miss three days of school. Some of you have asked us about how we would make up for the missed school days. Let me explain that we already have three additional days built into our school calendar, fortunately. Therefore we won’t have to make up for those three days. However, if we have a school closing again in the future for whatever reason (snow days, etc.) then we will have to make up for any of those additional days at the end of the school year.

Due to the fact that we missed so much school last week, we have decided to suspend the special activities planned for tomorrow. Tomorrow is an early closing day and we have special activities planned for each month on the early closing days. For tomorrow, normal classes will resume from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. making up for the lost time last week.

Some of you have also asked for resources you could check for more information. There are many Web sites, including Web logs, known as blogs, and other sites available on the Internet. As with any other topic of interest, some sites are more credible than others. The following is a list of sites that, together, may help present a balanced view of the protest.

The Gallaudet University’s web address for news pertaining to the protest can be found here: http://news.gallaudet.edu/

The main website used by the protestors (who have identified themselves as the FSSA, for Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni) is: http://www.gufssa.com/

A website that posts essays and thoughts related to the protest using appropriate language and showing well thought out positions, is: www.deafdc.com

You may also check the Web sites of local media outlets, such as http://www.washingtonpost.com/, for news articles on these events.

Our goal is to ensure that students feel that this is a safe and comfortable environment where they can share their thoughts and feelings. We also strive to help them develop their emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills through activities such as those that happened today.
I would like to again assure you that we remain committed to the academic achievement of all KDES students. Our policies and guidelines pertaining to student attendance and conduct will apply throughout this time. We are also committed to maintaining ongoing communication with our families, and will keep you informed of further developments that affect the KDES campus.

Finally, I would like to take some time to thank the Family Educators for contacting families last week and ensuring that all parents/guardians received information. I would like to thank Silvia Golocovsky and her staff for making sure that all of the information were translated immediately and shared with all families as well. I would like to thank Marilyn Farmer for keeping close contact with everyone in the school. Last, but not least, I would like to thank all of the teachers and staff members in this building for their patience and support.

Sincerely,
Maureen Y. Burns
Assistant Principal of Instruction