Dear Harbor Families,

In just a few weeks, we’ll host our third annual Celebration of Culture at Harbor! This annual event was conceived by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee after the pandemic conditions allowed us to return to in-person events, which served as an opportunity to carefully think through our school traditions and to ensure that our community events represent our mission and philosophy in the most authentic way possible. 

A goal for the Celebration of Culture - which is also a focus year round - is to authentically represent our own community’s diversity. The students will perform songs and dances from countries where teachers and families have ties or ancestry. Between now and that morning, each class will take the time to learn about that country from a member of our community who has lived in or experienced that culture. This is an important distinction to our approach - ensuring that our exploration of culture is truly authentic. 

At Harbor, we define diversity in a broad sense, and aim to help children understand and learn about all of the many ways we are different, to reflect on and embrace their own identities, and to recognize how our differences enrich our community. In the next week or so, you will see a letter come home, along with materials, for a family project to represent what makes your family unique.  As you work on this project together as a family, you may consider representing a  nationality or religion, but you should also consider representing an interest, hobby, or family tradition. The message to students --that there are so many ways that each of us offer something special and unique to our collective whole - is a purposeful and ongoing one, this week and throughout the school year. We will also invite you to contribute to a community project at the Celebration of Culture, to represent this concept!

Feel free to bring extended family members to the celebration - the more the merrier! We look forward to seeing you there! 

Warmly,

Leah Musico
Head of School