Monthly Observances


August Wilson

In 1958 she raised funds to produce her play A Raisin in the Sun, the first drama by an African American woman to be played on Broadway. It opened in March 1959 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway with great success. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the film version of 1961 received a special award at the Cannes festival. Hansberry's next play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, a drama of political questioning and affirmation set in Greenwich Village, New York City, where she had long made her home, had only a modest run on Broadway in 1964. Her promising career was cut short by her early death from pancreatic cancer on January 12, 1965.
In 1969 after her death, a selection of her writings was adapted into a Broadway production titled To Be Young, Gifted, and Black. These same writings were later published in a book in 1970.
- Websites to explore
Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs with compelling stories and fascinating facts from the Library of Congress.
Museums and Online Events
- Link to panel talks and lectures this month from the US Government’s African American History Month Homepage
- Browse the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Hispanic Heritage Month - Sep 15 - Oct 15 Please click to expand

National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and celebrates the culture, contributions, and heritage of Hispanic Americans and is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. On August 17, 1988, the 100th Congress enacted Public Law 100-402, which extended the observance from a week to a month. The months of September and October cover a wide range of independence days for Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on September 15. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21.

Mia Lehrer
Born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador, architect Mia Lehrer has become one of the most successful landscape architects in the country.
Earning her B.A. in Environmental Design at Tufts University a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Lehrer combined her dual interests to become one of the first to design outdoor spaces such as parks and gardens and also make them sustainable.
Heavily influenced by her surroundings as a child and the community activism of her parents, Lehrer has made her firm, Mia Lehrer + Associates, a beacon for sustainable design. In one of her first large public projects, the World Bank Coastal Zone Project in El Salvador, Lehrer worked with community members, politicians, and community organizations, paving the way for her expertise in working with multiple parties.
In Los Angeles, her firm is responsible for designing the Silverlake reservoir and the Annenberg Community Beach House, and revitalizing both the San Pedro Waterfront and the gardens at the Natural History Museum. She also was the key author of the L.A. River Revitalization Master Plan, in which she aims to transform 32 miles of concrete-lined river into public green space. What a gift to our city!!

Sophie Cruz
She was five years old when she tried to get through the Pope’s security barricade to hand him a letter (and the video of their encounter went viral). Sophie’s letter had a simple request: for him to help undocumented folks like her parents, who immigrated to the US from Oaxaca, Mexico. She’s since gone on to become a powerful voice in the immigrant rights movement, with accomplishments like speaking at the Women’s March, sitting in on Supreme Court hearings, and meeting with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden -- all before her age hits double digits.
No matter what your message is, just know that children hold a tremendous amount of power and can make change!

Roberto Clemente
Born in 1934, Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburg Pirates. Most known for his stellar baseball career, Afro-Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente spent his time off the field involved in charity work. He was a known human rights activists, organizing with charities to provide much-needed media attention and funding to Latin American countries. Clemente was killed in a tragic plane crash while delivering supplies to Nicaragua after an earthquake; he was determined to accompany the supplies himself after the first three flights were diverted by corrupted officials and never reached the victims of the earthquake. After his early death, he was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming both the first Caribbean and the first Latin-American player to be enshrined


Edna Chavez
Growing up in South Los Angeles, Edna Chavez witnessed routine gun violence in her community, and a shooting outside her home took the life of her 14-year-old brother Ricardo. She told his story -- and the story of thousands of other people of color disproportionately affected by gun violence -- before a crowd at the March For Our Lives in Washington, DC in 2018. Edna is part of the Community Coalition’s Youth Empowerment Through Action group, where she helps mobilize her community on everything from immigrant rights to civic power, and she was recognized in 2018 as one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21.
Arturo Elizando
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Arturo Elizondo is trying to make the age-old conundrum irrelevant. His Clara Foods has developed a fermentation technology that uses yeast to convert sugar directly into egg proteins the same way brewers make beer. The animal-free proteins are a cheaper and greener replacement for the vast quantities of eggs that go into everything from instant cakes and mayonnaise to dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. Animals are an incredibly inefficient protein machines, says Elizondo, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico It's fundamental economics that we can make protein that is cheaper and more sustainable.
Lisa Maria Fernandez (born February 22, 1971, in Long Beach, CA) is a former softball player and current assistant coach at UCLA. She played college softball at UCLA as a pitcher and third baseman, and is a three-time medal winning Olympian with Team USA. A Puerto Rican- American, Fernandez starred on both sides of the plate for the UCLA Bruins from 1990 to 1993, and was two-time national champion and four-time first team All-American. She continues to hold the UCLA records for career shutouts, WHIP and winning percentage. She also established an Olympic record in softball with 25 strikeouts in a game as a member of the United States women's national softball team. Additionally, she is noted for having pitched in three consecutive gold medal games, getting a save in 1996, an extra-inning shutout in 2000 before concluding the run by cinching the 2004 medal in a 5–1 victory.Fernandez was named the #1 Greatest College Softball Player and is a USA Softball Hall of Fame honoree.).She's often touted as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.

Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, specializing in Latin trap and Reggaeton. He was born on March 10, 1994, in the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His father, Tito Martínez, was a truck driver, and his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, is a retired schoolteacher. As a child, he attended church weekly with his devoutly Catholic mother and sang in the church choir until age 13. After leaving the choir, he developed an interest in the artists he heard on the radio, particularly Daddy Yankee and Héctor Lavoe. His stage name came from a time in which the rapper was forced to wear a bunny costume to school and was photographed with an angry expression. Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language music achieve mainstream popularity in the worldwide market. In 2020, he became the first non-English language act to be Spotify's
The book images included above are some of our recent favorite books by and/or about Hispanic and Latinx Americans for Middle Grade to YA readers.
- Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month online.
- National Park Celebrations
- The National Archives commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month
- Library Of Congress Podcasts
Pride Month - June 2022 - Please click to expand

Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, concerts, sporting events and more. Memorials to those who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS are also held throughout the month. We will share and recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
At WISH, students will be collaborating on an art installation at each campus to show pride and allyship. As always, our librarians will curate book collections that align with our theme. Please take a look at our Monthly Observances page for details on events, links to articles, and site to visit to learn more about Pride Month and LGBTQ+ issues.


- Human Rights Campaign - https://www.hrc.org/
The largest LGBTQ advocy group and LGBTQ political lobbying organization in the United States. Includes resources for students and familes such as “Answering Children’s Questions” and “LGBTQ Definitions” sections. - Pronoun Guide - https://www.glsen.org/activity/pronouns-guide-glsenGLSEN's helpful guide on how to use people’s correct pronouns.
- PFLAG - https://pflag.org/family
PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. - LGBTQ-Owned Businesses - http://www.laglcc.org/list
Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Business Directory - Matthew Shepard Foundation - https://www.matthewshepard.org/
- ONE Archives Foundation - https://www.onearchives.org/
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries, the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. Includes online exhibitions. - LA Pride LGBTQ Events - https://abc7.com/gay-pride-lgbt-lgbtq/10718415/
Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian Heritage Month - May 2022 - Please click to expand


One of these people was Fred Korematsu (1919-2005), born in Oakland, California to immigrant parents from Japan. In May 1942, when he was 23, he was arrested while walking down a California street. He refused to go to the camps and was convicted of defying the government’s order. He appealed his case, Korematsu v. United States, to the Supreme Court but lost. Later in life, he became a civil-rights activist, lobbying Congress to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which gave compensation and an apology to former wartime detainees.
February 19 is now a Day of Remembrance, an annual commemoration of the incarceration of Japanese Americans. In 2010, California signed a law making January 30 (his birthday) the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, the first day in the U.S. named after an Asian American.



Chef Comerford attended the University of the Philippines to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Food Technology. Her decades of culinary experience include fine dining restaurants in Washington D.C., Chicago, Austria, Napa Valley and France. As a member of the Club Chefs du Chef, an association of chefs of heads of state, she had continually pursued her growth in techniques, abilities and food trends. She lives in Colombia, Maryland and has a daughter, Danielle.

Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian descent to go to space, having served as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator on the space shuttle Columbia. Sadly, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere in 2003 following the space shuttle Columbia’s 28th mission. Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities and institutions have been named in her honor. She is regarded as a national hero in India, where she was born in East Punjab, in 1962.
Ted Lieu
Ted Lieu is in the House of Representatives who has represented California’s 33rd Congressional District since 2015. The district includes much of the west valley as well as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Bel Air, Calabasas, Agoura Hills - and yes - Westchester, Inglewood, Ladera Heights and our surrounding areas! He is an Air Force Reserve Command colonel. Lieu was born in Taiwan, and immigrated to the US at the age of three - to become a Stanford and Georgetown graduate and life long politician. He and his wife, Betty Lieu (a formar California Deputy Attorney General) live in Torrance and have two sons.
Ted Lieu is in the House of Representatives who has represented California’s 33rd Congressional District since 2015. The district includes much of the west valley as well as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Bel Air, Calabasas, Agoura Hills - and yes - Westchester, Inglewood, Ladera Heights and our surrounding areas! He is an Air Force Reserve Command colonel. Lieu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the US at the age of three - to become a Stanford and Georgetown graduate and lifelong politician. He and his wife, Betty Lieu (a former California Deputy Attorney General) live in Torrance and have two sons.
Local Events
Stories of Heritage: Asian American Voices in Children's Literature – Tuesday, May 24 at 2 pm PT. Despite overwhelming research that reading diverse books are vital for fostering confidence and empathy in children, Asian American stories are still underrepresented. This event will engage a panel of best-selling children’s book authors and advocates for diversity.
MOVEMENT: Performance Platform – Wednesday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. PT. What might we dance toward in this time of heightened anti-Asian sentiment and increased polarization? This event features work by three dynamic artists representing a variety of dance styles and cultures who are expanding the possibilities of dance.
This month marks milestone anniversaries for two significant events in Asian American history and California history. Here are brief descriptions along with recommendations for children's books that explore these topics.
Thirty years ago, the Los Angeles riots, also known as the Los Angeles uprising, took place: April 29–May 4, 1992. After four white police officers charged with excessive force in the arrest and beating of Black American Rodney King were acquitted, an uprising spread throughout Los Angeles, during which the Korean American community was disproportionately affected. Actor and author John Cho, a Korean American raised in Los Angeles, has written a middle-grade novel (ages 8-12) called Troublemaker that follows the events of the LA riots/uprising through the eyes of a 12-year-old Korean American boy.
May 6 was the 140th anniversary of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which suspended immigration by Chinese laborers for 10 years and declared Chinese immigrants ineligible to become naturalized citizens. The only U.S. immigration law prohibiting all members of a specific ethnic or national group was signed on May 6, 1882, The book Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Chris Sasaki tells the story of Tyrus Wong a future Disney illustrator, who traveled from China to start a new life in America even though the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect. This inspiring book is perfect for children ages 4 - 8.
US Census Bureau - https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2021/asian-american-pacific-islander.html
The Los Angeles Country Library not only has an extensive collection of books bt also offers workshops.
Black History Month - February 2022 - Please click to expand


Mr. Davis was an American trumpeter, composer and bandleader. He is considered one of the most acclaimed and influential figures in the history of Jazz music. He was innovative and his music kept changing with the times keeping Davis eternally relevant. In the 1940’s he recorded Birth of the Cool Sessions which led to the emergence of the genre of Cool Jazz. The 1950’s he recorded some of the first Hard Bop music - a subgenre of jazz music that is an extension of bebop music. In the 1960’s he altered between orchestral jazz collaborations and band recordings. One of his most popular albums of all time was King of Blue.

Ms. Lewis, the granddaughter of an emancipated slave, was born in a small farming settlement in Virginia. She left the south at the age of 16 and settled in New York where she worked as a seamstress creating African inspired dresses for which she became known. Ms. Lewis began throwing dinner parties for friends and acquaintances which led to one of them opening a cafe and hiring her as their cook. The restaurant was an instant success where Ms. Lewis created a menu of simple southern inspired dishes. This was the beginning of her culinary career which had its ups and downs including opening and closing restaurants, teaching cooking lessons and catering. In 1976 she published a cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking that captured the spirit and stories that Lewis had to share. In 2017 the book spiked on Amazon's bestsellers list following its inclusion on an episode of Top Chef.

Ms. Jackson was an American gospel singer who was considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. Her career spanned 40 years and was wholly successful even during the time when racial segregation was pervasive in American society. She grew up in the Church and was committed to delivering God’s word through song. She attained nationwide recognition in 1947 with the release of “Move on up a Little Higher” which sold two million copies and hit the number two spot on the Billboard Charts which was a first for gospel music.

Beginning in the 1500s enslaved Africans influenced the American diet. Many foods were brought over from Africa to America onboard ships transporting enslaved people. The kola nut is indigenous to Africa and is the major ingredient in Coca-Cola. West Africans would chew the nut for caffeine. Some other foods indigenous to Africa include watermelon, okra, yams, black-eyed peas, and some peppers. Traditional foods were fed to enslaved people on ships to make sure they were kept alive and ready for sale when they landed in America.
Mr. Posey was an enslaved African owned by George Washington at his plantation in Mount Vernon in Virginia. Mr. Washington called him Uncle Harkless. He served as the chief cook for many years. He was widely praised by George Washington for his culinary skills. He earned $100-200 a year selling leftovers named “slops” from the presidential kitchen. In 1797 Mr. Posey escaped from Mount Vernon to New York City where he lived under the name of Hercules Posey. It has been said that George Washington was distraught over Mr. Posey running away as he could not understand why he would leave as it was his belief that Mr. Posey lived a privileged life. (Click to find out more)
Websites to explore
- Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs with compelling stories and fascinating facts from the Library of Congress.
Museums and Online Events
- Link to panel talks and lectures this month from the US Government’s African American History Month Homepage
- Browse the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Native American Heritage Month - November - 2021 Please click to expand


- Native American Heritage Month - https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/
- National Museum of the American Indian; Native Knowledge 360 - https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360
- List of children's books - https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
- PBS - https://www.pbs.org/specials/native-american-heritage-month/
National Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15 - October 15 2021 - Please click to expand

The campus will be adorned with flyers that explain important (to kids and teens!) things that Hispanic culture/people have given us in the US. This includes, but is not limited to exploration of Mars, Instagram, and superheroes.
Here are just a few a few things that we are doing on our campuses to elevate the celebration: At the ES, music teacher Mr. Peder is launching into a unit about Hispanic/Latin & Pre-Hispanic music! Students will study Aztec as historical preservation as well as a "religious" utility.
In the coming weeks they'll be looking at and listening to three forms of music from Mexico including Banda, Norteno, and Mariachi (learning how to create a grito!)
Students will also be "traveling" throughout Central and South America and listening to music from Nicaragua (soca & merengue), Guatemala (garifuna), Columbia (cumbia), Peru (ancient Incas), Argentina (contradanse), and Brazil (samba, bossa nova). 5th graders are reading the wonderful book Esperanza Rising, about a the daughter of a wealthy Mexican landowner who's world changes and she is forced to move to California during the Great Depression. At the MS, Zsuzsi Steiner is teaching about about the ancient method of using Olla irrigation. Olla is a Spanish word and it is believed that the Spanish settlers may have introduced the olla to Native American tribes. Ollas are terracotta vessels that are filled with water where the water naturally seeps into the ground and waters the plants surrounding it. Due to our local drought conditions -- this seems like a great way for us to keep our garden watered. Students are bringing in plastic bottles to create plastic ollas for our garden. Mrs. Garcia, the Spanish teacher will be using this lesson to reinforce the "ll" sound in her Spanish classes and is engaging her students in a poster project to celebrate the month. They will also be learning a new dance calle "La Raspa". Ms. Tyler Posey will be utilizing the E building hallway bulletin board to decorate and spread information about important figures, places, and themes surrounding Hispanic Heritage. Stay tuned for more updates about the ways in which the incredible WISH staff and students are making Hispanic Heritage month come alive!


Library Padlet
The book images included above are some of our recent favorite books by and/or about Hispanic and Latinx Americans for Middle Grade to YA readers.
- Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month online.
- National Park Celebrations
- The National Archives commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month
- Library Of Congress Podcasts
Pride Month - June 2021 - Please click to expand

Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, concerts, sporting events and more. Memorials to those who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS are also held throughout the month. We will share and recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
At WISH, students will be collaborating on an art installation at each campus to show pride and allyship. As always, our librarians will curate book collections that align with our theme. Please take a look at our Monthly Observances page for details on events, links to articles, and site to visit to learn more about Pride Month and LGBTQ+ issues. The D&I Committee wishes you all a happy and healthy summer break!

Edith “Edie” Windsor was an LGBTQ rights activist whose Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor was a landmark victory for same-sex marriage in the United States. Edie was with her partner Thea Spyer for 40 years before finally getting married in 2007. When Spyer passed away two years later, the federal government refused to recognize their marriage and taxed Edie's inheritance from Thea. “If Thea was Theo, I would not have had to pay that.” She took her fight to the Supreme Court, leading to an overturn of section three in 2013 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) so that same-sex couples could no longer be discriminated from federal benefits and protections. In 2015, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal nationwide. Windsor died in 2017 at age 88.

- Human Rights Campaign - https://www.hrc.org/
The largest LGBTQ advocy group and LGBTQ political lobbying organization in the United States. Includes resources for students and familes such as “Answering Children’s Questions” and “LGBTQ Definitions” sections. - Pronoun Guide - https://www.glsen.org/activity/pronouns-guide-glsenGLSEN's helpful guide on how to use people’s correct pronouns.
- PFLAG - https://pflag.org/family
PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. - LGBTQ-Owned Businesses - http://www.laglcc.org/list
Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Business Directory - Matthew Shepard Foundation - https://www.matthewshepard.org/
- ONE Archives Foundation - https://www.onearchives.org/
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries, the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. Includes online exhibitions. - LA Pride LGBTQ Events - https://abc7.com/gay-pride-lgbt-lgbtq/10718415/
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - May 2021 - Please click to expand




US Census Bureau - https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2021/asian-american-pacific-islander.html
The Los Angeles Country Library not only has an extensive collection of books bt also offers workshops.
Letter of Support to our Asian American Community Members
Dear Community Members,
The D&I Committee would like to call attention and bring awareness to the uptick in violence against Asian Americans over the course of the past year and to send a message of support to our Asian American brothers and sisters in the WISH community. In Los Angeles from March 2020-October 2020 alone, 245 hate incidents against Asian Americans were reported to Stop AAPI Hate - with 76% including verbal harassment and 8% being civil right violations. Nationwide, Stop AAPI Hate is reporting that roughly 9% of attacks against Asian Americans have been physical. Stories of microaggressions, harassment and assault have been documented in the national and local news recently.
This surge of violence against Asian Americans is creating real trauma in our nation, our state, our city and our WISH Community. Some of our own Asian American community members have given us short testimonials of how they are feeling now:
"I am Chinese American. When I sewed my first mask at the beginning of the pandemic, I specifically chose the cutest fabric I had so that people would hopefully see me as less of a threat. It was a form of self-protection. If I was wearing a mask with adorable pink and yellow apples, then maybe I would be less of a target."
"My family is planning a short trip within California for spring break. My children have been expressing fears that our family will be attacked simply because we are Asian and are hesitant to travel. We have had a year of covid keeping us at home and now we have brutal attacks against Asians furthering our isolation."
"My parents have just gotten vaccinated, are finally able to go out again, and now I'm scared for them to do so."
We want to wrap all community members in our WISH blanket of support, and the first step is education and awareness. Please take the time to read up on this issue.
Here is an article about ways to talk with your children about this issue.
For advice on what to do as a bystander if you witness a microagression or harassment, you can look at the 5 D's from ihollaback.org
- Delay: If you witness microaggression or assault - comfort the victim, let them know that you saw it and provide support, ask if they need help to their car, to call a loved one, or to get home. Delay also comes into play if you see a systemic issue in a place of business or other institution, in which case you can write letters to the appropriate leadership.
- Distract: become a distraction when a microagression seems to be escalating. Make eye contact with the victim, drop your keys, ask them for directions or to help you with something.
- Delegate: Find someone in a position of authority, like a bus driver, flight attendant, teacher, security guard or store manager and ask them for help.
- Document: If it is safe, record the incident or stay to talk about what you witnessed to authorities.
- Direct: Assess your safety first. Speak up about the harassment. Be firm and clear.
On behalf of the entire WISH community, the D&I Committee wants to express our commitment to support all community members. During this difficult time in which xenophobia and racism are rearing its head and affecting our Asian American friends, we extend our support and partnership.
Thank you
Deaf History Month / National Poetry Month - April 2021 - Please click to expand
Monthly Spotlight: Poetry Month (April)


Deaf History Month
National Deaf History Month is celebrated from March 13 through April 15 to commemorate the achievements of people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The time frame is spread across March and April in recognition of three turning points in deaf education history dating back to the early 1800s. On April 15, 1817, America’s first public school for the deaf was opened. On April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University — the world’s first institution dedicated to advanced education for the deaf and hard of hearing — was officially founded. And more than 100 years later, on March 13, 1988, Gallaudet hired its first deaf president in response to its students’ Deaf President Now movement.
Poetry Month
So often we turn to poetry in times of celebration, in times of loss, in times of wonder and of healing. What pleasure then to celebrate the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month together as a community! We have been through this historic year “alone together,” riding the kaleidoscopic waves of emotion that have undoubtedly sprung from the isolation, the hope, the rest, the exhaustion, the moments of joy at not having much LA traffic, the unexpected silver linings of eating more meals together or watching our children grow right before our eyes! These details make up the poetry of life! National Poetry Month was born in 1996 at the Academy of American Poets, with the intention of bringing the cultural importance of poetry and poets more into the mainstream. Our “main event” for the month will be our own exploration of poetry as we begin to tiptoe toward life as we knew it a bit more, allowing a safe place for all of those emotions to land. WISH mom and poet, Julia Alter, will lead our scholars in a poetry lesson that will let them express and explore and process these feelings in the form of poetry. We will set up a FlipGrid for students to share their poems. Additionally, our librarians will be sharing some wonderful books for readers of all ages. Our Spotlight Series will continue, this month focusing on inspirational poets from many different walks of American life.



“I think one thing I want to do as Young People’s Poet Laureate is make sure all people know that poetry is a party everyone is invited to. I think many people believe and want others to believe that poetry is for the precious, entitled, educated few. And that’s just not true. Our children’s first words are poems—poems we and our listeners are delighted to hear and eager to understand. Rap is poetry. Spoken word is poetry. Poetry lives in our everyday. I’ve read some of the most poetic tweets, listened to poetic voice messages and snippets of dialogue between teenagers.To which I have to say: four more years.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58430/firefly-56d23ccbb5f21

New York Public Library - https://browse.nypl.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sdeaf%20history__Orightresult__U?searched_from=header_search×tamp=1617403743650&lang=eng
ASDC is a resource for families with deaf children
Poetry Month
Brittanica Parents - https://parents.britannica.com/poet-amanda-gorman-inspires-kids-with-speech-disorders/
Inspirational article for parents of children with speech disorders about Amanda Gorman overcoming and thriving with auditory processing issues
Public Broadcasting System Southern California - https://www.pbssocal.org/five-teacher-poets-share-favorite-writing-prompts-children
Favorite writing prompts for children from teacher-poets
Wednesday April 14, 2021
Please join us for a very special Deaf History Month panel hosted by WISH Academy ASL teacher Ms. Jade Tipton and students from the WISH Academy High School ASL club. Details will be posted in the WISH Wise Weekly.
Poetry Month
A unique video will be created and linked here this month featuring contributions from members of our WISH community. Please check back soon.
Women's History Month - March 2021 - Please click to expand








https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/3065/farah-alibay/

To kick off our celebration of Women's History Month we are offering some bedtime entertainment!
Here is a link to our Padlet with a special section of read-aloud books that our librarians recorded. Bring your favorite screen to bed and let someone else read the story to your child! PLEASE keep coming back to the padlet as we will continue to share more throughout the month.
- This website is a collaboration of the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, Smithsonian, National Archives, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Park Service, National Endowment of the Arts .
- Visit the History Channel has a wide range of resources and can guide you to resources about Women Leaders, Women In Sports, Women in the Arts and Women in Science.
- The Smithsonian has organized its resources about Women’s history into themes including activism, art, science, sports and more.
- National
National Women's History Museum includes resources and many virtual exhibits to learn more about influential women. - Google Arts & Culture Online Tours takes you to many exhibits about Women’s History from museums all over the world
Black History Month - February 2021 - Please click to expand

“The Lived Experience of Black Leaders at WISH” Panel Discussion



rican Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. In California, she successfully petitioned a court for her freedom and quickly used her skills as a midwife and nurse for her livelihood. She saved her money and purchased land in what is now the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Mason became one of the wealthiest landowners in the city. She supported charities that helped feed and shelter the poor while also being instrumental in founding an elementary school for Black children. To learn more, visit the Biddy Mason Memorial Park downtown.





Websites to explore
- Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs with compelling stories and fascinating facts from the Library of Congress.
- Visit the History Channel’s Black History Page
- Resources from the New York Times Learning Network
- Poetry! 12 Poems to Read for Black History Month
Museums and Online Events
- Link to panel talks and lectures this month from the US Government’s African American History Month Homepage
- Browse the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
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