Thriving Together: DEIB at Westside — December 2025

DEIB Committee Update

The DEIB Board of Trustees (BOT) Committee is taking a new approach to better understand the experiences and perspectives of Westside families. Over the next few months, committee members will be reaching out to some families for informal conversations to gather candid feedback.

These discussions aim to:

• Build DEIB awareness by learning what families want to explore.

• Foster a stronger sense of belonging by personally connecting with families.

• Hear from voices that are not often represented, ensuring a broader understanding of our community.

If your family would like someone from the committee to reach out, please let us know at deib@westsideschool.org. These conversations are not evaluations—they are opportunities to listen, strengthen relationships, and inform growth, helping Westside continue to build a connected and inclusive community. Read the full communication here. 

 

DEIB Task Force Update

Our DEIB Task Force has begun a new partnership with Jabali and the Huayruro team to support deeper, more sustainable dialogue across our school community. This year, we’re focusing on strengthening the relationships and skills that make thoughtful, identity-centered conversations possible.

Laying the Groundwork
We’re using a framework called Peacemaking Circles, which centers on building trust, listening deeply, and developing shared understanding before moving into more complex topics. Rather than rushing ahead, we’re dedicating time this year to connecting with one another and building a strong foundation for future work.

Community of Practice
Our Diversity Task Force cohort of 11 faculty, staff, and community members, including Holly Megan Thompson, Kajal Maniar, Kalei Sabaratnam, Michal Le, Nicole Caden, Remi Smith, Gina Griffiths, Radhika Makhija, Catey Roe, Tami Elwin, and Dr. Daryl Wright. Together, we will develop skills in deep listening, empathy-based communication, and facilitation—skills that will help guide meaningful conversations now and in the future.

What’s Ahead

• Now–February: Circle-based work and skill-building with Huayruro
• March: Launch of faculty- and staff-led affinity groups
• Spring: Ongoing reflection, adjustments, and expanded affinity opportunities
• June: A year-end community reflection and planning for year two

Our Goal
We aim to strengthen trust, communication, and our ability to hold multiple perspectives so that conversations across our community feel grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive.

Thank you for your continued support of this work. We look forward to sharing more as the year progresses.

 

Celebrating Culture and Community at Westside

As winter approaches, Westside students have engaged in rich cultural learning across all grades. Preschool and Kindergarten explored Native American Heritage Month, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, St. Nikolaus Day, and the Catalonian Yule Log through stories, art, music, and hands-on activities. Students also enjoyed family traditions, Friendsgiving celebrations, and seasonal vocabulary connections.

First and second graders focused on gratitude, kindness, and identity while learning about Indigenous perspectives on Thanksgiving and holidays that celebrate light, including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, St. Lucia, Winter Solstice, and Bodhi Day. Many families visited classrooms to share their own traditions, and students reflected on respect and community during Veterans Day and Human Rights Day.

3rd and 4th grade students explored Election Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside student-led celebrations of family traditions. Learning included classroom discussions, readings, and presentations by students and families about holidays such as Hanukkah, Diwali, and other cultural traditions. Third graders recently visited the Duwamish Longhouse, where they met Cecile Hansen, tribal leader of the Duwamish Tribe, and deepened their understanding of local Indigenous history. Fourth graders reflected on gratitude and community by creating short category books focused on personal and family traditions, and last week visited the Wing Luke Museum to learn about Bruce Lee and the history of Seattle’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Middle school students studied global cultural events, including Guatemalan kites, sorters de Navidad, Carrera de San Silvestre, encierro de toros, and the Copa Mundial, and connected these to local traditions through essays, presentations, and projects. Students also examined Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa through Indigenous perspectives, historical context, and environmental connections. In their World Language classes, students have spent time learning about cultural traditions through food—researching and tasting a variety of traditional dishes from around the world as a way to deepen their understanding of culture and community.

Across all grades, library, art, music, and movement classes incorporated stories, songs, and projects from diverse cultures, helping students see connections across traditions, affirm identities, and practice gratitude, kindness, and belonging.