Please hold this date for the annual Lawton Run-a-thon. Times may change, and more information will be coming soon.

Curriculum night will be virtual this year. Please look for an email with virtual room links as we get closer to September 14th.

This will be an outdoor event on the Lawton playground for children to meet their classroom teacher. Masks are required. You may come any time, but if possible, please try to come during your designated time.

• Last Names A-L 4:30-5:00 pm

• Last Names M-Z 5:00-5:30 pm

All are Lawton caregivers and staff are welcome and encouraged to join the virtual PTO meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92518257069?pwd=bWVNZERGanZjeTR1MVJINHNpM1pBUT09
Meeting ID: 925 1825 7069
Passcode: 149563

Evelyn Hollenshead, a Youth Librarian at Ann Arbor District Library, will be joining us for the next Lawton Reads the Rainbow on Wednesday, June 2 from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. She will be telling the story of How Rabbit Stole the Fire: A North American Indian Folk Tale by Joanna Troughton and will also read The First Strawberries as retold by Joseph Bruchac. In addition, Evelyn will share information about AADL’s Summer Game 2021, scheduled to begin on June 11. Zoom link will be provided closer to the event.

 Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94284520204?pwd=WHdRV091SU1WcFEydzZ1TWZCaXZxdz09

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

Agenda

March meeting minutes

Please join on Wednesday, May 12 at 11:30 am when beloved and recently retired Lawton teacher Laurie Moore will be reading Amira’s Picture Day by Reem Faruqi.

Ramadan has come to an end, and Amira can't wait to stay home from school to celebrate Eid. There's just one hiccup: it's also school picture day. How can Amira be in two places at once? May 12, 2021 is also the eve of Eid al-Fitr so it’s a great time to learn about this special Muslim holiday. 

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94297700908?pwd=L3g4bTRTc3I2cGlyaFBVNVlobldQUT09

Please join us on Wednesday, April 28, at 11:30 am as Divya Amin and Supriya Kelkar present The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar. https://zoom.us/j/92967076898?pwd=THorMWFGUDhLZW5tNDdKMnA4bHNZQT09

Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion. He especially takes care with his patka—his turban—smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when his family moves to a new city, everything just feels gray and all he wants is to be invisible. Can he find a way to make life bright again?

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

We are partnering with Dicken Elementary to co-sponsor a Racial Equity Challenge this month for parents/caregivers, teachers, and other staff.

• This Challenge will raise your awareness, change your understanding and shift the way you behave.

• The Challenge goes beyond individual or interpersonal racism by helping to demystify structural and institutional racism and white supremacist patterns that are sometimes invisible to people.

• Finally, the Challenge inspires us to act, on our own or with others in our school, community, organizations, businesses or groups, to dismantle these systems.

Participation Expectations

• Participants can plan to spend about 15-30 minutes a day spread over one week to read, watch, and reflect on the materials (see sample challenge below). You may take notes or journal about what you learn or experience.

• Participants must be willing and able to attend a virtual community discussion of the materials on Tuesday, April 27 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

Please Register by Monday, 04/19

For the Challenge to be successful, we need broad participation from Lawton caregivers/parents, teachers, and other school staff. Please use this form to sign-up to participate in the Racial Equity Challenge and the important community discussion on Tuesday, April 27 from 6-8 PM, facilitated by Yodit Mesfin Johnson, President & CEO of NEW (https://www.new.org/).

Racial Equity Challenge Example

Challenge #1 - Grounding in Shared Understanding

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” ― Angela Davis.

As we each strive for deeper understanding of one another and the conditions that keep some folks free, and others oppressed, it is important that we root ourselves in shared meaning and language. Achieving race equity — the condition where one’s racial identity has no influence on how one fares in society — is a fundamental element of social change across every issue area in the social sector. Yet the structural racism that endures in U.S. society, deeply rooted in our nation’s history and perpetuated through racist policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages, prevents us from attaining it. Take a moment to consider how oppression works and to familiarize yourself with the meaning behind many words you might be hearing, but don’t have a clear understanding of.

• Option 1​: ​Listen to this ​3 minute video​ on the 4 “I’s” of Oppression.

• Option 2​: Scan this ​Glossary​ and identify four words/phrases that are new to you.

• Option 3​: Read through this ​Summary​ on building a Race Equity Organizational Culture.

• Option 4​ - Watch this ​4 minute video​ on Systemic Racism.

More info on the Science Fair website: https://lawtonsciencefair.weebly.com/

Back by popular demand! Following the success of our winter virtual dance, we are happy to announce a Spring Break Virtual All School Dance on Friday, March 26 from 6:30-8 pm. Please send music requests to president@lawtonpto.org by Wednesday, March 24. Students, teachers, staff and families are all invited! Please join us for this much needed opportunity to have some collective fun! Zoom link will be provided closer to the event.

More info on the Science Fair website: https://lawtonsciencefair.weebly.com/

Help welcome our Lawton Leopards, teachers and staff back to the building with inspiring messages and symbols of love and support! Visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e49a9ae22a4fd0-welcome to sign up. Of note, to allow for adequate social distancing around the outside of the building, each time slot is limited to 25 people. Chalk and hand sanitizer will be provided!

Please join us as parent volunteer Mingming Zhang reads The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin.

This book shares timeless themes of community and diversity. A neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetables soup, and the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92564624084?pwd=TkloUitIL1V2VHdNNG5PcDdSVmphZz09

Meeting ID: 925 6462 4084

Passcode: 330445

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99316243101?pwd=dEtyUUppMk1ZT0hhV1IwMjM3dDVHUT09

Agenda: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L12B7XtbiJbr797s6zt_hJO-LlZqACOoVmggANlsYqM/edit?usp=sharing

Please join us as Lawton parent and PTO Co-President, Stacy Ebron, reads Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes (Author) and Laura Freeman (Illustrator).

 When Kamala Harris was young, she often accompanied her parents to civil rights marches—so many, in fact, that when her mother asked a frustrated Kamala what she wanted, the young girl responded with: “Freedom!” As Kamala grew from a small girl in Oakland to a Senator running for President, it was this long-fostered belief in freedom and justice for all people that shaped her into the inspiring figure she is today. From fighting for the use of a soccer field in middle school to fighting for the people of her home state in Congress, Senator Harris used her voice to speak up for what she believed in and for those who were otherwise unheard. Her dedication led to her becoming the Vice President of the U.S. in 2020.

Age Range: 5–10

Book Themes: People, Identity and Culture, Social Justice, Civil Rights, Elections and Voting, Breaking Barriers.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94602925122?pwd=OTNSN2xPRzU0elA4TTBPQ0Myblhqdz09

Meeting ID: 946 0292 5122

Passcode: 906659

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

Virtual Event.

Join us to learn how to make marbled or painted sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day. This cookie baking and decorating class will be led by parent volunteer, Nadine Aubourg. Simple supplies needed. Please register at https://forms.gle/NyUa1hB6bFUyF9HH8 by Sunday, February 7. The Zoom link, recipes, ingredients list, and supply list will be provided on Monday, February 8.

Simona Goldin, PhD, will join the Lawton community to discuss Bettina Love’s book We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. The book discussions will take place on January 14, January 28, and February 11 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Participants will be split into small groups for book discussion. Each session will focus on questions and prompts provided ahead of time. The book has seven chapters and will be discussed as follows:

• January 14 - Chapters 1 & 2

• January 28 - Chapters 3, 4, & 5

• February 11 - Chapters 6 & 7

Please see the Book Club Reading Guide for more detailed information as well as questions and prompts to be used during the first session on January 14.

Free copies of the book will be provided. Be sure to register for the book club in advance.

Please join us on 02/10 at 11:30 am as YuTing Yeh (Lawton Mandarin teacher) reads The Pet Dragon by Christoph Niemann. Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97804146565?pwd=UUJxaThySHE5dHhwd0gzY01FczlOUT09

 Meet Lin and her pet dragon! When the dragon mysteriously disappears, Lin sets off on a journey to find her best friend … and readers set off on a journey of learning and discovery. By ingeniously integrating written Chinese characters into the illustrations as the story progresses, Christoph Niemann has created a book that is engrossing, unique, and memorable. The Pet Dragon is a playful introduction to the fascinating world of Chinese language and culture … and a terrific story to share with children everywhere.

 Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

This year, Lawton will celebrate National African-American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) by inviting ALL parents to attend their child’s classes on Monday, February 8. Look for more information from your child's teacher on how you can participate in NAAPID.

NAAPID is a national call to action to get ALL parents, especially those of African-American descent, more involved in their children's educational experience. It began here in Ann Arbor by Joe Dulin, who was a longtime AAPS Principal. He was inspired to create a parent involvement day after going to the Million Man March in 1995. According to Dulin, “a young man named Ayinde Jean-Baptiste, then 12 years old, was one of the speakers, and he challenged us to go back to our communities and do something. I got the feeling that, out of a million men, he was looking at me.”  Out of this call to action, NAAPID was born.

The goals of this annual event are to:

• Promote greater caregiver involvement in student’s education from preschool to college.

• Foster dialogue among teachers, caregivers, and students to create a more supportive educational environment for African-American students.

• Develop strategies to address the serious achievement gap that exists for African-American students in Ann Arbor Public Schools and throughout the nation.

Simona Goldin, PhD, will join the Lawton community to discuss Bettina Love’s book We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. The book discussions will take place on January 14, January 28, and February 11 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Participants will be split into small groups for book discussion. Each session will focus on questions and prompts provided ahead of time. The book has seven chapters and will be discussed as follows:

• January 14 - Chapters 1 & 2

• January 28 - Chapters 3, 4, & 5

• February 11 - Chapters 6 & 7

Please see the Book Club Reading Guide for more detailed information as well as questions and prompts to be used during the first session on January 14.

Free copies of the book will be provided. Be sure to register for the book club in advance.

Meeting will be held virtually.

Agenda

Zoom

Simona Goldin, PhD, will join the Lawton community to discuss Bettina Love’s book We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. The book discussions will take place on January 14, January 28, and February 11 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Participants will be split into small groups for book discussion. Each session will focus on questions and prompts provided ahead of time. The book has seven chapters and will be discussed as follows:

• January 14 - Chapters 1 & 2

• January 28 - Chapters 3, 4, & 5

• February 11 - Chapters 6 & 7

Please see the Book Club Reading Guide for more detailed information as well as questions and prompts to be used during the first session on January 14.

Free copies of the book will be provided. Be sure to register for the book club in advance.

Lawton Reads the Rainbow is a program to expose Lawton students to books by multicultural authors and/or books with themes of equality, cultural diversity, anti-racism, or social justice.

 Please join us on Wednesday, January 6, at 11:30 am when Louise Toppin, PhD, Voice Faculty and Opera Singer at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance will read and sing Aida, the story of an Ethiopian Princess, as retold by Leontyne Price. 

https://zoom.us/j/98264819055?pwd=WFAvQmNsUm1UWUM1a2c0WGRnVE1TZz09