Cultural awareness days are student-led by design, giving student’s agency and voice in sharing their background with other students and staff. These days are important to our students in building awareness of and respect for the many different cultures and identities that make up our diverse community. So far this year, students at Newton North have led numerous events including Black Culture Day, Asian Culture Day, Jewish Culture Day, Civics Day, Disability Awareness Day, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Day.
ToBeGlad Day in particular has a more than 20 year long history at North, during which time it has sponsored wonderful events, speakers, and performances to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ community members. In general, the GSA has a long and important history in Newton as the Newton South GSA was the first of its kind in the country.
Students selected this specific performance because drag is a performance art that is often a part of LGBTQ+ events. Like many of the performances in our schools, this performance seeks to deliver an important message — a message of kindness, inclusivity, and positivity — in a way that engages the teen audience. While there are many different types of drag performances, this particular performance is appropriate for the teenage audience and has also been vetted by faculty advisors and student leaders.
Cultural awareness days give students the opportunity to share pieces of their culture they believe are important for others to know and understand so that we may continue building welcoming and inclusive communities. Many students and staff look forward to these days of learning in a different way outside of the traditional classroom work. We are proud to support our LGBTQ+ students as they build awareness of and celebrate their identities within the context of our larger school community.
Dr. Kathleen Smith
Interim Superintendent
Newton Public Schools
