Racial Equity
& Accountability

In the new fall 2020 elective “Colors of Nature,” seventh- and eighth-grade students explored the notion that people of color have different access to and privileges in the natural world. Through class discussions and creative journals, students reflected on how environmentalism and racism are intertwined. Eighth-grader Jax C. shares an introduction, and three students—Anika G., Kayla L., and Anjuli M.—reflect on their experience in this course. 

Following his recent reelection to the California state legislature, Assemblymember Rob Bonta commemorated Filipino American History Month at an event organized by Nueva’s Filipino Club. Bonta shared how his identity as a Filipino American influenced his political career, which has been devoted to promoting social justice, inclusion, equity, and opportunity. As I listened to Assemblymember Bonta share his perspective on what it means to be Filipino, I reflected on my own Filipino identity.

Part 5 – Activism and Moving Forward

Ingrained in all of the teaching and learning around anti-racism at Nueva—in programs and projects built over the years, as well as new ones introduced this year—is a message of hope: hope for this next generation of young people, hope for the future of Nueva, and hope in creating a more anti-racist community at Nueva and within our broader communities. 

November is Native American Heritage Month, a fact that often gets overlooked in the midst of parent-teacher conferences and Thanksgiving holiday planning. This year at Nueva, we wanted to focus more intently on Native American history and, specifically, our relationship to the land that Nueva rests upon and our responsibility as an institution to bear witness to the history of this soil.

Part 4 – History

Understanding the past in order to better understand the present is an important way for students to learn about racial and social justices issues in the United States. 

“We start in the present, then go to the past to help inform what we know about the present,” said Sam Modest, sixth-grade humanities teacher.

Part 3 – Science and Math

Examining data is another tangible way for students to understand and talk about racial and social justice issues.

Part 2 – Literature

Books are oftentimes one of the best ways to introduce students to the themes of identity, social justice, and anti-racism. They also help facilitate conversations, build empathy, and provide a launching point for important and difficult conversations.

Part 1 – Identity

As activist Leslie Mac said, “Being anti-racist is a verb—and it requires consistent action.” This story is part one of a five-part series exploring the ways in which Nueva is striving to be antiracist in the classroom. 

My connection with my Latino heritage is very meaningful to me; however, this connection was one that I had to work to find. My grandparents did not always involve my parents in aspects of our Latino culture because it was often looked down upon in schools and in the world. With my parents being left out of many traditions, it made it harder for them to share this aspect of our identity with my sister and me. Part of this disconnect feels inevitable, as being third or fourth generation Americans means we associate more with our American history.

What does a community look like? What does it take to build a community and what are the difficulties that might arise? These questions serve as the foundation of the new curriculum in ninth-grade Science of Mind (SOM). Developed by Director of Social Justice and Equity Alegria Barclay, the revamped curriculum focuses on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Beloved Community. The course is very much about antiracism, Alegria said, and antiracism is woven into all aspects of the course.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May, we began to talk about how to ensure we were communicating on Nueva platforms in anti-racist ways. We put out a statement, like many other institutions, affirming our school’s belief in the importance of antiracist work and working toward racial justice. But we knew that one statement one time was not enough; this was going to be ongoing work in which we needed to engage, a lens through which all of our work was put. 

Questions abound in our lower school classrooms, and student inquiry is the driving force behind the yearlong theme in kindergarten. This theme of investigation provides a through line for a number of explorations that kindergarteners will engage in over the course of the year, the first of which is a focus on identity. 

A new addition to the upper school schedule this year is a block for special programming on Fridays. For the first in a series of special guest speakers, Dean of Student Life Hillary Freeman invited Black Lives Matter activist and local Bay Area native Kenan Moos to speak. In a conversation moderated by student council equity and inclusion rep Fiona T. ’22, Kenan shared not only his background and life experiences, but also how he became an activist and how Nueva students can step up to take action. 

How do those in power positions who have not wrestled with and understand the African American plight feel the need, have the desire, or become motivated to make changes for justice’s sake.

“One of the learning goals for our study of the Civil Rights Era has been for my students to see examples of young people making change and for them to realize they are never too young to effect change,” said sixth-grade humanities teacher Evan Bartz.

After learning about the rise in anti-Asian discrimination, Joshua K. wrote a song to remind us that we're "All the Same."

Upper School Spanish teacher Francisco Becerra recently invited two guest speakers into his Spanish 401 class, both of whom shared stories from their lives related to units of study the students have completed this year. 

Coming together as a community is critical in combating any kind of discrimination, particularly when it arises from fear and ignorance. As Asian American activist groups began to respond to this current manifestation of racism, I focused on new ways I could stand up for my community, against ignorant or hateful acts targeting Asian Americans.

The eighth-grade writing class is another example of how Nueva teachers are thinking outside the box in order to add a splash of excitement and fun to remote learning. The graphic novel unit uses the Canvas platform, and our eighth graders are enjoying a different form of storytelling.

Nueva first graders are learning to be kind, compassionate, empathetic citizens, as they are currently studying ableism.

A small team of Nuevans recently attended Pollyanna, an anti-bias conference for schools aimed at promoting community-wide growth.

On February 13, Middle School students packed 132 boxes containing 28,000 meals of soy, rice, vegetables, and vitamins for children in other countries in a student-organized community service learning day. 

The second grade embarked on a research field trip to Angel Island and the former immigration center, which perfectly tied into the humanities theme of the grade: Bay Area history through the lens of immigration. 

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, students engaged in a variety of programming focused on the life of Dr. King and his legacy as an activist.

In fourth grade, students explored the intersection between social justice and architecture.

The Visible Learning Project aims to document learning for the Nueva community. It provides students, teachers, parents, and campus visitors with a dynamic, informative space to celebrate and reflect upon learning at Nueva.

Clarence B. Jones, the former personal counsel, advisor, draft speech writer, and close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., visited the Nueva Upper School campus on Tuesday, January 15 – what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th birthday – to share his life experience and inspire students and faculty. Dr. Jones assisted Dr. King in drafting the “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” and his iconic “I Have a Dream,” speech of 1963.

Last Tuesday, guest speaker W. David Ball, an associate professor at Santa Clara University Law School who teaches in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, sentencing, and corrections, spoke to Nueva eighth graders in conjunction with their study of A Lesson Before Dying, a novel by Ernest Gaines. David possesses an extensive background in prisons, reentry, and criminal justice operations, and in November of 2016 he participated in the White House Convening on Criminal Justice Reform. He spoke to Nueva students for an hour about the challenges and possibilities of reform in the criminal justice system.

Events honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were held at Nueva’s Middle School and Upper School last week. Through purposeful programs including assemblies, panel discussions, advisory meetings, and workshops, student’s developed their understanding of the meaning of the word “solidarity” and explored ways to translate solidarity from an abstract concept into action.