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.