{"id":50466,"date":"2022-08-17T15:29:29","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T19:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/?p=50466"},"modified":"2022-09-19T09:48:32","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T13:48:32","slug":"2022-23-launches-with-call-to-wide-the-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/2022\/08\/2022-23-launches-with-call-to-wide-the-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"2022-23 Launches with Call to Widen the Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCommunity\u201d was a theme during the first week of the 2022-23 school year and the preceding week of faculty and staff conference with a similar call. Widening our circles was a subtheme as teachers, staff, and students began to think about what makes a community welcoming to all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The school year opened August 16 with 383 students: 106 in grades K-5; 118 in grades 6-8; and 157 in grades 9-12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul Leaman, head of school, shared the following demographics with faculty and staff during their week-long conference.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50490\" style=\"width: 343px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50490\" class=\"wp-image-50490\" src=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-75x50.jpg 75w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/EMS-back-to-school-2022.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-50490\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Back to School night. Photo by Annika Harmison \u201924<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">53 faith communities are represented, including Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and multi-faith, and some with no affiliation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">21% identify as various races and ethnicities which are not white<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20% qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">27% receive needs-based tuition assistance\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">71% receive tuition support as discounts, scholarships, or other aid<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100% benefit from donor support like yours.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The call to notice circles came from Jared Stutzman, as he facilitated morning music during the conference, and with students in grades 6-12 during the first week\u2019s Chapel gatherings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA circle is a beautiful thing\u2026 when you are inside it,\u201d said Stutzman, music teacher and choral director. \u201cIt\u2019s a great thing when you are in the circle, but it can really hurt if you are outside of the circle.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He encouraged listeners to notice circles and invite others in as the school, K-12, focuses on what it means to be a community this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Calling out Bias<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The letters IQEE were introduced as tools for teacher and student \u201ctool belts\u201d in the school\u2019s work to move toward its vision of being a school where every student can \u201cbelong, thrive, and live God\u2019s call.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50541\" style=\"width: 343px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50541\" class=\"wp-image-50541\" src=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_1742-67x50.jpg 67w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-50541\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharing words and phrases to use in moments when biased comments come up in class or other settings.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maria Archer, K-8 principal, and Justin King, high school principal, taught people to remember IQEE when they see or hear something that might make someone feel outside of the EMS circle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I \u2014 Interrupt<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q \u2014 Question<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E \u2014 Educate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E \u2014 Echo<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tools \u2014 listed in no particular order \u2014 encourage students, teachers, and staff to<\/span><b> interrupt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>question<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>educate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if they hear\u00a0 a comment, joke, reference, or even attitude that comes at the expense of another person or group. The final \u201cE\u201d, for <\/span><b>echo<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, encourages others to agree with the person who interrupts, questions, and educates if they feel the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOuch!\u201d and \u201cHey\u2026 I\u2019m not comfortable with that,\u201d are examples of interruptions. \u201cTell me more,\u201d and \u201cWhat were you trying to say?\u201d are good questions to ask to give people a chance to think about what they said that was offensive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat joke makes me uncomfortable,\u201d is an example of \u201ceducate.\u201d And, \u201cYeah, please don\u2019t say that,\u201d is an example of \u201cecho.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50544\" style=\"width: 194px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50544\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50544\" src=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-184x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"184\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-184x300.jpg 184w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-627x1024.jpg 627w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-768x1255.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-940x1536.jpg 940w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-7x12.jpg 7w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208-31x50.jpg 31w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/PXL_20220811_224410975-scaled-e1660936063208.jpg 1241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-50544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new kindergarten student checks out the classroom while parents visit at Back to School night.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is a school that works together on anti-bias efforts, across the board,\u201d King reminded faculty and staff, after everyone practiced saying out loud their phrase or word to use when they hear something<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0in the classroom, hallway, dining hall, or athletic field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve got to practice because it can be awkward and hard if something comes up unexpectedly. But we need to call hurtful comments out when they happen, and we need to do it consistently.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Back to School<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Elementary students and families gathered Thursday evening before the start of school, while new and returning students and families in grades 6-12 gathered the following Sunday evening. Energy was high and new acquaintances began. Parents met as class groups with class sponsors while students socialized on the lawn.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the first day of school, students in Chapel saw Paul Leaman prepare a peach pie. He noted that people are a bit like peaches and most everyone is bruised\u00a0 once you \u201cpeel back the skin.\u201d As a community, he noted, we want to support each other, bruises and all.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lRCLKj_-dOI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watch his chapel<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50482\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50482\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-8x12.jpg 8w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-33x50.jpg 33w, https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_9496-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-50482\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Leaman made a peace pie during the first chapel, noting that nobody is perfect<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mr. King and Ms. Archer introduced themselves and their shared passion for the Atlanta Braves later in the week. They also introduced the IQEE tools for students to be ready to speak up when they hear hurtful comments, and invite each other \u2014 especially new students \u2014 into their circle. Watch the chapel <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uSHwZ3ci1Uo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aqu\u00ed.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Community is the theme for Gathering (K-5) and Chapel (6-12) for the 2022-23 school year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/2022\/07\/community-is-2022-23-theme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cCommunity\u201d was a theme during the first week of the 2022-23 school year and the preceding week of faculty and staff conference with a similar call. Widening our circles was a subtheme as teachers, staff, and students began to think about what makes a community welcoming to all. The school year opened August 16 with\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":50479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[312,303],"class_list":["post-50466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-chapel","tag-faith-formation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50466"}],"curies":[{"name":"gracias","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}