MAY 30 • 2024 | 23

Asian American Heritage
Month and Arab American
Heritage Month.
AAPS Director of
Communications Andrew
Cluley provided a list of
efforts within Ann Arbor
schools, including library
displays showcasing books
about Jewish figures at three
schools, and a district-wide
digital library collection.
Some school-wide efforts were
reported by Jewish families,
such as announcements at
Clague Middle School about
famous Jewish Americans.
Cluley said that Huron High
School plans to buy Jewish
heritage books with grant
funds.
Some Jewish parents with
children in Ann Arbor Public
Schools expressed frustration
at the lack of school-wide and
district-wide recognition of
JAHM. Part of the challenge
might be in the delay of rec-
ognition of a Jewish Parent
Advisory group, which applied
to be approved Oct. 24, 2023.
Cluley said that the Board of
Education is still reviewing the
group’s application.
Other advisory groups help
to plan and contribute to
district-wide resources and
events. For example, National
Asian, Pacific Islander & South
Asian American Heritage
Month, which is also in May,
features three virtual author
talks available to AAPS teach-
ers and students.

DEXTER AND SALINE
In two other Washtenaw
County school districts,
JAHM celebrations vary.
Dexter Community Schools is
currently making a compre-
hensive list of cultural recog-
nitions and will include Jewish
American Heritage Month
starting next year, according

to Hope Vestergaard, director
of communications of Dexter
Community Schools.
“Cultural recognition activ-
ities have traditionally been
teacher- or building-driven,”
Vestergaard said. She noted
that there were no dis-
trict-wide events or announce-
ments about Jewish American
Heritage Month.
In contrast, in Saline Area
Schools, a May 1 social media
post included a graphic that
read, “We celebrate Jewish
American Heritage Month,”
which was displayed on digital
display boards in buildings.
The district provided resources
and a reading list in the post.
“Within each of our seven
school buildings, staff vol-
unteers comprise equity
teams that work to com-
pile resources for class-
room teachers around the
planned observances,” exec-
utive director of communica-
tions and community relations,
Saline Area Schools Jackie
Martin wrote in an email.
She provided an example
at the fourth- and fifth-grade
levels, where a Digital Choice
Board includes links to videos
about Jewish holidays, famous
Jewish American and history
about Jewish American immi-
gration.
“Elementary schools in the
district feature famous Jewish
Americans through bulletin
boards, author and artist spot-
lights,” Martin wrote. “Several
sixth-grade classrooms are
currently reading Refugee
by Alan Gratz. One teacher
invited a parent to join their
student as classroom guest
speakers to present on Jewish
heritage and the Holocaust as
part of their unit of study.
“This was in response to a
request from a student,” she
noted.

Two large
glass displays
show items,
books and
information on
Jewish themes.