Letter from the Principal - February 2021

February 10, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

During the month of February, CDH celebrates Black History Month. Even though it’s difficult to coordinate such a significant celebration under our hybrid model, there hasn’t been a more important time in recent history to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans. This pandemic will one day cease, but our efforts to gain respect and understanding among one another and to bridge the racial divide are never-ending.  

We are celebrating in a few different ways throughout the month of February:

• A CDH student volunteer will recognize a Black American each day during our morning all-school prayer. Thank you to the student council for writing these and to the students who read them.  These contributions will be displayed on the student council bulletin board each week.  

• Several CDH students recorded “Did you know?” segments about Black Americans. These are being released on CDH social media throughout the month.  

• Jesse Ross, an African American motivational speaker, will be addressing CDH students on February 16 and February 26 during Community Time. Mr. Ross was well received last year and we are excited to welcome him back to CDH. 

Our February Black History Month celebration also intersects with the theme of this week’s Justice Week, “Exploring the Dynamics of Race.” The two events complement one another in our work to Dismantle Racism at CDH and they also hold their own important and individual role. Yes, we need to make time to celebrate, recognize and appreciate the contributions of all Americans to create a culture of understanding and acceptance, but it doesn’t end there.  

We are faced with what seem to be contradictory strategies to Dismantle Racism, when in fact, our challenge is to know when and how to integrate the appropriate actions and responses. When should we be impatient, revolt, and take immediate action; and when should we delve deep, tell and listen to the stories, imagine, and dream?  When do we study the data and design new approaches; and when do we implement new policies, new curriculum, and new power structures? They all have their place.  

For now, I offer this passage in Ecclesiastes, 3:1-8. During Black History Month, let’s set aside time to heal, to laugh, to build, to dance, to embrace, and to sew together. While we can’t ignore the hard conversations and difficult work of Dismantling Racism, we must make the time during Black History Month to acknowledge the significant role Black Americans have in our nation. As a wise member of our Dismantling Racism Committee pointed out, not to do so would be “a big miss.” 

Sincerely,

Mona Passman
Principal