Leary Principal's Message from Jenn Tomalty

October 2019

Dear Leary Family,

We had a great first month of school! Students are settling in, learning routines, and persevering through learning tasks. As a district, we set priorities that drive our work for the year. For the second year, Equity and Inclusion has been elevated to a priority as we work to be culturally responsive to meet the needs of all Leary students.  

Here is the wording of our district priority: “Recognizing the many kinds of diversity that exist within our school community, we are committed to strengthening the connection among culture, teaching, learning, and achievement. We must ensure that our programs and learning environments promote equity and inclusion.”

One aspect of our work in this regard is embedding restorative practices into our daily work with students and staff. Here is a definition and rationale for designing student support systems based on the implementation of restorative practices.  

“Restorative practices is an approach to promoting positive behaviors and building relationships and a sense of belonging. It also focuses on understanding conflict and how to repair harm, rather than traditional discipline.” This video clip explains this definition in more detail.  

Throughout this school year, you will be hearing more about our Equity and Inclusion initiatives, including restorative practices. You may hear your child talk about participating in a community-building circle or restorative conversation. When that happens, ask them about their experiences with these initiatives. 

We are excited to work collaboratively to support the academic, social, and behavioral growth of our students in and out of school.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Tomalty, Principal