Greetings Kent Middle School Families,

Friday was an incredible day at Kent, as we concluded the 2022 All School Read of Rolling Warrior with an in-person visit from author and activist, Judy Heumann. Judy engaged students, staff, and parents with her powerful commentary, her gentle yet fierce disposition, and her complete and total commitment to be present for our children and their questions.

Judy Heumann spoke to our students about justice, about perseverance, about strength, and about humanity. She recounted her life’s work of fighting for disability rights, starting when she was first denied access to school as a child, and when she was later denied a teaching license. She explained in detail the protest events she led that eventually resulted in the passage of section 504 in 1973, her work to bring the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990, and most recently a lawsuit she initiated regarding access for wheelchairs in her own neighborhood. She shared that while her work improved many elements of our society, there is still not justice for all, and that discrimination remains a reality for people with disabilities and many other groups in our country and in our world. She encouraged our students to identify a cause they care deeply about, and to have a clearly articulated goal they intend to achieve through research and action related to that cause. What a powerful experience for our students to hear this first person, primary source account from a true American hero, right on our Kent Middle School campus.

Reading Rolling Warrior and meeting Judy Heumann had a powerful impact on many of our students, as captured in the below excerpts from a few student letters written to Judy.

• "Before I read this book, I didn’t know what section 504 meant, but after reading the book I can see how some of my friends at school that have disabilities, can attend our school and get the help they need because of you." – From a 5th grade student
• "Your book taught me that no matter what other people say, if you have a goal you should do everything you can to achieve that goal." – From a 6th grade student
• "For me, your book is a cry of empowerment to make myself heard and seen, and not just a part of the backdrop." – From a 7th grade student

Linked here is a Marin IJ article about the 2022 Kent All School Read and author visit last week, which captures some poignant reflections from our students, and more. We appreciate school librarian Rebecca Jelen for her vision, organization, and planning for the Kent 2022 All School Read, as well as to our KSPTA partners for their consistent and generous support.

November here we come!