From the Principal’s Office

On Monday, March 22, 2021, during advisory, the attached message was communicated to all students.  Powerpoint Message.   Powerpoint Message in Mandarin. 

On March 23,  staff gathered on the front steps before school with  a banner that denounces racism and supports our AAPI community.  We will be gathering again on Thursday and Friday mornings this week and invite students to sign the banner and to join the staff in a show of unity.  If your child is a distance student, they may stop by before school or during lunch to sign the banner outside, or they can contact their school counselor to sign for them.

In addition, we are developing lessons for our advisory program which will give students an opportunity to channel their energies into making a positive difference for the community, and we are also planning a celebration of Asian-American culture during AAPI Heritage Month in May, similar to our past Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

We  abhor the recent violence against Asian-Americans in Atlanta and the rise in racism against people of Asian and Pacific Island descent during the pandemic, and we stand united in fighting against it.  As always, our approach is to educate our students,  to help them deepen their understanding of the harm that racism in any form can cause, to give them venues to express their voices and feelings,  to connect with and support one another, and to be pro-active in reflecting and making a difference,

If you have concerns about your own child, please contact  your child’s school counselor. Asian-American students are also welcome to attend our Asian-American Affinity Group, led by ELL teacher Stacy Zheng, on Tuesday afternoons. Information and links for this group can be found on our website.

We thank the Bigelow FORJ Chapter for sharing information in their recent email about opportunities for families to get involved.  I have reprinted their list of online resources below.

Stand strong, Bigelow.

Best regards,

Todd