Our hearts ache. George Floyd’s life matters. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Ahmaud Arbery’s life matters. Black lives matter.

We are reaching out to share resources that we believe might be helpful as you reflect on the current and ongoing racism in our country. We hope that these resources will help you reflect on and process the current moment. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, as there are so many dynamics, so many theories, so many histories to grasp in order to do our work of understanding anti-racism. We hope it will, though, provide a place for you to start or some new directions to go. As you find useful resources, please continue to share and learn together.

“I urge white Americans to reflect on their intentions for allying with #BlackLivesMatter. I hope that we all understand that supporting black Americans is the right intention. That means doing a lot more than posting on social media,” writes Jack Kitching, a Neag School alumnus and high school social studies teacher in Hartford.

”We need to get ahead of this crisis to survive and thrive together. It is time to provide alternate options in education preparation so we can continue to prepare high-quality leaders and teachers within this ‘new normal,‘” says Patricia Virella.

The 5l-year-old CEO of sister com­panies Sound Manufacturing and Mon­ster Power Equipment in Old Saybrook, Kellie-Marie Vallieres, took over the family business from her father in 2006. She never planned to run the company, but when earning her Ph.D. in adult experiential learning at UConn she did a class project on Sound Manufacturing, which makes precision sheet metals for a variety of industries – landscaping, telecommunications, industrial, automotive, etc.

Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones has appointed Dana Tulotta as assistant headmaster at Greenwich High School, effective July 1, 2020. Most recently, Tulotta held the role of Folsom House administrator at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Conn.

Connolly, a fifth-grade teacher at the Mather School in Boston and a former UConn women’s hockey player, has created a YouTube channel called “Ms. Connolly’s Math at Home,” which contains around 70 videos covering elementary school math topics from first to fifth grade.

Superintendent Craig Cooke states, “I am very excited to have someone with Mr. Mihalko’s level of experience and background in regular and special education to our team. His work from Prek through grade 12 will bring new ideas and perspectives to Poquonock School. Jay impressed us all with his commitment to student learning and equity.”

With school closures announced across the country, Neag School faculty, alumni, and students share resources and expertise on teaching, learning, homeschooling, and parenting during the pandemic.

Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.