St. Teresa’s Academy’s Initiatives and Events to Educate Against Discrimination Several initiatives are in place to strengthen our efforts to educate our students at St. Teresa’s Academy about sensitivity to people who are persecuted, to stand up against discrimination, and to become more tolerant of those who are victims of injustice. Many organizations have reached out to STA to offer their help and support. We are blessed to have them contact us, to help make a positive impact on our entire community. Our efforts include acceptance and understanding of not only the atrocities suffered by the Jews during the Holocaust, but also the injustices that are felt by people of color, other races, religions, and sexual orientation. The following lists some of the many activities, events, and ongoing programs that we have confirmed: Wednesday, September 27, 2017, the STAR Galaxy Committee is meeting to discuss how they can make additional recommendations. This committee is a group of students, parents, faculty, and board members, who are working with administration to source programs and opportunities to enhance our diversity initiatives. Thursday, September 28, 2017, Michala Lantz-Simmons from the Center for Conflict Resolution will be working with our students, faculty, and staff on campus, to heal from this experience and find ways to put into action what we have learned from this experience. Sunday, October 1, 2017, at 7 p.m., members from the STA community will be attending a forum called “Stand Together KC”, an event with Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff, Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver III, and Rev. Adam Hamilton will discuss ways as individuals and as a community, we can respond to hate speech, white nationalist and white supremacist groups. (The event is free. Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Ave., Leawood, KS (Sanctuary). Tuesday, October 3, 2017, all STA juniors will be attending We Shall Not Be Moved: The Student Sit-Ins of 1960. Monday, October 9, 2017, Big Sonia, the story of a of a 91-year-old Kansas City woman, Sonia Warshawski, who is a Nazi Holocaust survivor, will be screened at STA for our students, faculty, and administration. Sonia will speak after the film. Students from Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy will be joining us. Thursday, April 12, 2018, Seven Days founder, Mindy Corporon (who lost her son and father in the tragic shooting at Jewish Community Center), and Jim LaManno (widower of STA alumna Terry Hastings LaManno, also killed on that tragic day) has arranged for the Seven Days speaker, Valerie Kaur, to speak at STA. Kaur is a Sikh interfaith leader, civil rights, activist, and documentary filmmaker. In addition to these recent and upcoming events, the following activities have either been in place or have been initiated:

STA Board of Directors is reading Some of My Best Friends are Black and discussing it at all board meetings this year. In early November, a Parent Book Club is being formed, to also discuss Some of My Best Friends are Black. It will be moderated by Michelle Wimes, STA Board President and Director of Professional Development and Inclusion at a Kansas City law firm. STA teachers, staff, and administration are reevaluating and editing all policies, in accordance with the Teaching Tolerance’s Social Justice Standards, a framework for anti-bias education. Teachers are in contact with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, to discuss future involvement with STA. STA is reaching out to Marvin Szneler, Regional Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau. The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect in New York has reached out to us and offered to come to St. Teresa’s to discuss the historical impact of the Holocaust and how our community can heal. St. Teresa’s Academy will continue to consider additional programs, events, and activities in the coming months and continuing into our future.