Read it, Know it, Live it

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are elements that we as a community strive to have in our schools. Oakhurst Kindergarten teacher Shannon Staton felt her classroom library did not adequately reflect those qualities, and wanted to give her students access to books that imbued those values. With help from a DEF teacher grant, she purchased 100 books to augment her classroom library with fiction books that have an inclusive focus, as well as non-fiction texts that show the real diversity of our world.  Exposure to these books at the beginning of their elementary years sends a powerful message to kindergarteners about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion, and will benefit future classes for years to come.