Celebrating Family Diversity

How do we celebrate family diversity at LREI’s Lower School? Let me count the ways. Teachers read books in class and lead discussions; led by Sue and Ledell, we sing about families together; teachers acknowledge and value each wonderful family in our community, and students collaborate to create projects that increase understanding of different family types. Through it all, students hear teachers modeling comfort with family diversity-related vocabulary (gay, lesbian, two moms, two dads, divorced, single-parent, blended, and/or built through adoption, etc). They get a clear message that reinforces LREI’s historical and mission-motivated inclusiveness. The assembly and the discussions are a long-standing tradition and part of the curriculum at LREI – yet another of the many reasons I feel happy to have joined this school community!A high degree of student participation really made yesterday’s Families Assembly engaging, even for our youngest students! Below is a poem that a first grade class wrote and recited to us. Below click to hear us singing together at the assembly. Please play it for your kids – I think they’ll like that (and you may be treated to a sing-along)!

The Family Recipe
by Jamie and Lindsay’s First Grade

This is how you make a family.
Gather all the things you need. You can add
A mom, a dad, or both
A family can have two moms, two dads,
An aunt, an uncle and grandparents.
A stepmother or a stepfather, or both
A godfather or a godmother, or both.
You can add kids‚ like brothers and sisters and babies and twins and triplets!
Or, just one kid, or no kids.
Mix in pets.
Dogs, fish, guinea pigs, bunnies, cats, hamsters, hedgehogs, a frog, a parrot, or a lizard
Any people can be in a family. There can be only one person or up to 100!
The most important ingredient in a family is love!
Give lots of kisses and hugs, make your family feel good, and show them how much you love them and you will have a great and growing family!

Click the play button to listen to the song, We’re All a Family (Under One Sun):

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