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Sunday, January 28, 2018
YAC Takes the Kindness Challenge 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
February is Black History Month
The American story through the African American lens https://nmaahc.si.edu/
YAC in collaboration with Miss Smith, Substitute Teacher for Mrs. Clay and Coach T. will be presenting stories of famous Oklahoma African Americans.
https://docs.google.com/
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Sarah Smith on Race: Chapel Sermon
Amos 5:24 “but let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
On a summer day on June 21, 1964, at a civil rights rally at Soldier Field in Chicago, beloved Holy Cross priest and University of Notre Dame President Father Hesburgh stood together with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., singing "We Shall Overcome,” the famous African spiritual.
Fr. Hesburgh was member of the US Commission of Civil Rights. And on that day where this famous picture was taken, he addressed a crowd over 57,000 people, saying “Be proud to be a Negro, we want to strive for dignity with you.”
As a white person, I cannot speak to the experiences of the lived reality of a black person. I cannot know what a black person’s daily struggles are living in a white world. All I can do today is speak from my experience as a woman and as a theologian to give MLK Day some context – some theological language, if you will, to honor one of my most beloved theologians of all time and an American Civil Rights hero.
My message today is simply this – RACE IS A GIFT FROM GOD.
I am saying what Fr. Hesburgh said that day in 1964 but in a more theological way. And I will keep affirming this truth throughout my sermon this morning.
Thinking about RACE AS A GIFT FROM GOD changes our perspective on our differences as humans. We were made by God with various shades of melanin as diverse as the colors of flowers in a meadow on a mountain. Fr. Youmans reminded me that even the entire biosphere reflects God’s creativity in diversity, God made not just one type or one color or one species of things but rather God made 100s, 1000s, millions – we see this in Genesis 1 where God “made every kind…and saw it was good.” So we too, as humans, reflect God’s abundance and wholly diversity.
The cool thing about being human, however, is that we were made in the likeness and image of God, the imago dei. Genesis 1:26 states, “Let us make humankind[c] in our image, according to our likeness,” and then after God had made everything God said it was very good. Therefore, our bodies reflect something about God. The very fact that we are so many colors says something about God. And God said we are “good” because everything God made was “good.” Therefore, RACE IS A GIFT FROM GOD.
What is wonderful about being a Christian is that we can look to our sources of authority like the Biblical text and the life of Jesus (whom by the way, was a BROWN man) and the traditions of the Church to search for meaning in life. Our theological resources give us truths and hints towards how to think about our worlds which should in turn help us discern how we ought to live in the world.
I am a strong believer that if we do not put our theologies into our ethics then our theologies are dead. In other words, if we don’t live out what we believe to be true about God then there is no point to having faith to begin with. Therefore, if we believe as Chrisitans that RACE IS A GIFT FROM GOD then how ought we act towards each other?
I am heartened and encouraged that several dozen Casady students volunteered at the Food Bank yesterday to honor MLK in a day of service and giving to others in need. King’s vision was for a Beloved Community based on the philosophy and principles of non-violence. In this community, King saw justice in relationships between fellow humans and striving for equal opportunity and mutual dignity and respect. Where people were judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin.
Where all work had dignity no matter if one was a sanitation worker or a physician. In my favorite quote from him he explains, "all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny...whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be - this is the interrelated structure of reality." And also, “our ultimate goal is integration, which is genuine inter-group and inter-personal living. Only through nonviolence can this goal be attained, for the aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of the Beloved Community.”
So how do we realize King’s vision for the Beloved Community as a Christians, Muslims, Jews or people of good will that want to live in harmony and peace with one another? I think a great deal of realizing King’s vision starts with our attitude and posture towards one another. When I see a friend or person of a different race or ethnicity I shift my thinking from “oh wow this person is different than me so I fear them” to rather, “this person has a different experience than me from living in the world with a different color of skin, that is A GIFT FROM GOD therefore I am sure I can learn something from their lived experiences.”
This is a very technical and fancy way to say
· MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU.
· GET TO KNOW ACTUALLY KNOW THEM.
· ASK ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND WHAT THEIR HERITAGE IS LIKE AND HOW THEY SEE THE WORLD.
· TREAT THEM LIKE THEY A GIFTS FROM GOD BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST AS MUCH AS YOU ARE.
· WE CAN AND WE NEED to LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.
In a weekly podcast I run, interviewing women in theology – every time I get to interview one of my friends of color I am always so thrilled to learn from them. They see the world and understand theology in a completely new and wonderful way that I have never dreamt of. They make my faith better because they add their unique perspective. They give my theology breadth and depth that I could not learn on my own.
We need each other. In all of our diversities. I cannot be who I ought to be until you are who you ought to be. My salvation is wrapped up in yours and yours in mine, even. This week’s lectionary text, John 1, Nathanael said “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” If Christians profess faith in a Brown savior named Jesus from a gross town called Nazareth then I would hope we could see that image of god in our brothers and sisters of color in towns and places where we would least expect it.
Maybe that’s where God is after all anyways. With those on the margins. Why wouldn’t we want to learn from them and be in community with them for they are blessed. And so are we as we work to realize the Beloved Community here on earth and not just as it is in heaven. Amen.
Monday, January 15, 2018
MLK Day 2018 at the Food Bank, Reflective Thoughts and Chapel Speech by Mr. Hamilton
UD, MD Cyclones served at the Food Bank on MLK Day
Reflective Article by Claire R.,19, YAC Treasurer
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech to hundreds of thousands of people. Less than five years later, he was shot and killed, but his message lives on.
Now, every third Monday in January is dedicated to Mr. King and the truths that he inspired our nation with. His message of equal rights for all in a time when they were desperately needed, and his peaceful but passionate approach to achieving this has made him one of the most famous and celebrated Civil Rights activists, rightly so. This year, January 15th was a day intended to be spent in service and reflection.
In years past, service opportunities at Casady have been organized and provided by YAC and Mrs. Clay. https://casadymlkday.blogspot.com/
In years past, service opportunities at Casady have been organized and provided by YAC and Mrs. Clay. https://casadymlkday.blogspot.com/
Students and faculty have gone to the Food Bank of Oklahoma to sort food, the Oklahoma City Memorial to understand and spread awareness for the Murrah Building bombing, and Habitat for Humanity to build houses for the homeless. Each year, the students are asked to reflect on their experiences.
This year at Casady, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a trip to the Food Bank of Oklahoma. Those who were interested spent their afternoon serving their community by sorting food from 1-4. Safra Shakir, the YAC co-president, said the volunteers made over 600 meals. Not only did the Upper Division get involved, but MLK day was celebrated by the entire Casady community. Sahanya Bhaktaram, the YAC Vice President, said, “I had a great time volunteering! I got to work with not only high schoolers but kids from middle school and lower division too!”
All in all, MLK day was a success, and a day for kids of all ages to come together and engage in service to their community.
Casady's MLK Day Afternoon of service at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma The service-learning opportunity took place in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his contribution to the world.
Pictures by YAC Photographer, Yasmin J. and Mrs. Cherylynn Omelia.
UPPER DIVISION HOSTS ASSEMBLY FEATURING SPEAKER JO IVESTER
Casady's Upper Division hosted a civil rights assembly on Friday, January 13,2017 featuring speaker facilitator Mrs. Jo Ivester. Sharun P., Service Learning Office, and YAC Intern stated, "The speaker was good. Her personal story was very interesting about being the only white family in an all black community." The Respect Diversity CEO, Joan Korenblit shared the following remarks about Mrs. Ivester's speeches at Heritage Hall High School and Casady, "Jo Ivester gave powerful talks at both schools."
Chapel Speech by Casady History Teacher, Mr. Jonas Hamilton
01/12/18
J. Hamilton
MLK chapel talk
Agitate, Agitate, Agitate!
Colleagues, students, fellow cyclones, greetings. Thank you, Mr. Foster and Father Blizzard, for inviting me to speak. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a giant, heroic figure in our history, so it is an honor to say a few words here about this great American.
Inescapably, speaking of Dr. King, I do so from a white man’s perspective—an obvious point, but it needs emphasis. As such, I’m grateful to Dr. King for having spoken so eloquently about race and white racism in a way that made room for me as a human being of conscience. Was this political expediency on his part? spiritual noblesse oblige? Christian agape? I don’t know. Nor do I begrudge other leaders in the fight for justice and equality their decision not to speak in this way, or their annoyance with Dr. King for doing so. Still, I am grateful for Dr. King’s generosity and magnanimity, which, under the circumstances, he had every right to withhold.
Three days before his Federal Holiday, which U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1983, let’s celebrate and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By all means, let’s join him in wishing for a day when people are consistently judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” But let’s not forget that these often misunderstood and misused words form part of Dr. King’s famous “Dream Speech.” The emphasis here is on “Dream”; Dr. King never intended to conceal the vast gulf between his dream and our world; or our passive or active complicity in the injustice still prevalent within it; or our responsibility, each in our own way, to carry on the struggle for which he endured so many hardships, including violence and jail in Alabama, surveillance by Hoover’s F.B.I., a hurled brick in Chicago, and finally, an assassin’s bullet in Memphis (4/4/1968). Though you may choose not to embrace it, Dr. King’s struggle is your struggle, and though you may choose not to acknowledge it, there is still a lot of work to do.
Let’s remember the real Martin Luther King, not just the gentle icon to whom we piously nod once a year, but the agitator, the restless justice seeker, for whom winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 was not enough. At a moment when our nation spends more than the next eight countries in the world combined on weapons and defense, let’s remember Dr. King’s campaign for equal access to decent housing in Chicago in 1966, his speech in 1967 at Riverside Church in New York opposing the war in Vietnam, and his multi-racial anti-poverty campaign of the following year. The real Dr. King was committed to non-violence, to a degree which other less patient activists found vexing, but he was no saint. He knew what (and whom) he was up against. Like the Socrates of Plato’s Apology, whom King mentioned in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail (4/16/1963), Dr. King was a stinging fly who would give his unjust and complacent society no rest. And like Socrates, Dr. King ultimately laid down his life to make our society better. Dr. King was the heir of the fiery Frederick Douglass, who, as the nineteenth century and his own life drew to a close, exhorted a young follower with the following words: “Agitate! Agitate! Agitate!”
Friday, January 12, 2018
Focus on Service Learning: Mrs. Cherylynn Omelia and Jo Ivester
Focus on Faculty Spotlight: Cherylynn O'Melia Watch Cherylynn O'Melia in this week's Focus on Faculty video on the CasadySchoolLife YouTube channel: Focus on Faculty - Cherylynn O'Melia.
Cherylynn O'Melia has been teaching for 31 years and is in her sixth year at Casady School teaching seventh grade English, and she is Middle Division English Department Chair. Ms. O'Melia earned her degree in elementary education from Anderson University, then her Master's in Administration from William Woods University. On top of her degrees, Ms. O'Melia holds multiple Oklahoma teaching credentials and certifications.
Ms. O'Melia is also Middle Division's Coordinator for Service Learning and organizes service learning opportunities and experiences for Middle Division students throughout the school year.
"I am passionate about cross-curricular teaching and integrating the service-learning component," Ms. O'Melia said. "Cross-curricular teaching makes learning relevant for the students and empowers them to set lifelong learning and service goals."
Ms. O'Melia is a warm and inviting presence for every student who enters her classroom. Her greatest hope is that students leave Middle Division with an appreciation and desire for a service-filled life.
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Service Learning Opportunities for Cyclones and their Families
Cyclones will join hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country on this national day of service sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and the Corporation of National and Community Service. On MLK Day, Cyclones answer Dr. King’s call to serve and face differences.
Volunteer service is a powerful tool that unites us around a common purpose and builds strong communities. The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – on MLK Day and throughout the year.
Cyclone volunteers are invited to join classmates and families at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in the Volunteer Center on Monday, Jan. 15 from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. The Casady Afternoon of Service is sponsored by our Middle Division Community Service Learning Program and led by Ms. O'Melia. Sign up through this link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/
Additional Community Service Opportunities
On Friday, Jan. 12 after school, Upper Division students are invited to volunteer with YAC Vice President Sahanya Bhaktaram at Boys and Girls Club. On Saturday, Jan. 13 from 3:15 to 8:30 p.m. the Myriad Gardens Winter Olympic Expo needs volunteers. Sign up link at Casady Places to Serve Blog or contact Megan Brown, mbrown@myriadgardens.org or 405.445.7087.
Learn more about Casady's Service Learning Program on the Casady Community Service Learning Blog
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MLK Day 2018
Cyclones Put Citizenship and Service in Action
Cyclones will join in volunteer service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
Casady Upper Division is hosting a civil rights assembly at 1:05 pm, today, January 12, 2018. The assembly speaker facilitator is Mrs. Jo Ivester. Jo Ivester spent two years of her childhood living in a trailer in Mound Bayou, where she was the only white student at her junior high. She finished high school in Florida before attending Reed, MIT, and Stanford in preparation for a career in transportation and manufacturing. Following the birth of her fourth child, she became a teacher. She and her husband teach each January at MIT and travel extensively, splitting their time between Texas, Colorado, and Singapore.Books: The Outskirts of Hope. Jo Ivester addresses a wide range of audiences, from small book clubs to entire schools, using her personal stories as a means to make people more comfortable with those who are different from them with regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identification.
After School, today, YAC Vice President, Sahanya B. is facilitating her monthly after school mentoring experience at Boys and Girls Club.
Cyclone volunteers will pack food at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma on January 15th from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at the Volunteer Center of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The Casady Afternoon of Service is sponsored by the Casady Middle Division Community Service-Learning Program. The project is facilitated by Mrs. Cherylynn Omelia, Casady Middle Division Service Coordinator, MD English Department Head, and 7th grade English teacher.
Cyclones will join hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country on this national day of service sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and the Coorporation of National and Community Service. On MLK Day, Cyclones answer Dr. King’s call to serve and face differences.
Volunteer service is a powerful tool that unites us around a common purpose and builds strong communities. The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – on MLK Day and throughout the year.
Cyclones will join in volunteer service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
After School, today, YAC Vice President, Sahanya B. is facilitating her monthly after school mentoring experience at Boys and Girls Club.
Cyclone volunteers will pack food at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma on January 15th from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at the Volunteer Center of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The Casady Afternoon of Service is sponsored by the Casady Middle Division Community Service-Learning Program. The project is facilitated by Mrs. Cherylynn Omelia, Casady Middle Division Service Coordinator, MD English Department Head, and 7th grade English teacher.
Cyclones will join hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country on this national day of service sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and the Coorporation of National and Community Service. On MLK Day, Cyclones answer Dr. King’s call to serve and face differences.
Volunteer service is a powerful tool that unites us around a common purpose and builds strong communities. The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – on MLK Day and throughout the year.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Friday, January 12th Casady YAC MLK Day 2018 Speaker at 1:05 pm
About Jo Ivester
In 1967 when Jo was 10 years old, her father moved their family to an all-black town in the Mississippi Delta, where they were one of only two white families and the only Jewish one. There, her father started a medical clinic, her mother taught at the local high school, and Jo was the only white student at her junior high. Living in a trailer in the poorest county in the nation during the turbulent 1960s, they were drawn into the heart of the civil rights movement.
Because of this experience, Jo is committed to advocating for equal rights for all. Her award-winning memoir about her family’s time in Mississippi, The Outskirts of Hope (She Writes Press, April 2015), has led to numerous speaking engagements about racial relations. In the last few years, Jo has broadened her focus to raise awareness about the transgender community. Inspired by her transgender son, she is now working on her second book, Once a Girl, Always a Boy. Through this and her speaking engagements, Jo shares the story of what is was like for her son to grow up in a world not quite ready for people like him.
Ivester addresses a wide range of audiences, from small book clubs to entire schools, using her personal stories as a means to make people more comfortable with those who are different from them with regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identification.
Before becoming a writer, Jo received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from MIT and an MBA from Stanford University. She worked for many years in transportation and operations management before teaching as an adjunct professor in the business school of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Now living in Fort Worth, Texas, she has been married to Jon Ivester for 37 years, has four children, two grandchildren, and another grandchild on the way.
A Letter from Jo
My name is Jo Ivester. I’m 60 years old and live in Texas. My early years were spent in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, where my father, Leon Kruger, ran his pediatrics practice from an office on the first floor of our home. It was common to do that in the 1950s and 60s. Our whole block was made up of physicians of one sort or another working from their homes – a dentist, an ophthalmologist, a foot doctor. There were almost thirty children in the neighborhood and we all played blissfully together, unaware that our parents had created a highly unusual paradise.
That all changed in 1967 when my father quit his practice to become the medical director of a clinic in a small, all-black town deep in the cotton fields of Mississippi, about a hundred miles south of Memphis. My mother, Aura, was stunned by his decision, although I didn’t know it at the time. As a 10-year-old child, it never occurred to me to question her brave words that this would be a great adventure, that we were lucky to have a father who cared about service to humanity. Bold words and I bought into them, totally and completely.
To the outside world, my parents had the perfect life, a strong marriage, four talented, handsome children, a large house in the suburbs, a partnership in managing both their home and his work. But my dad was no longer satisfied, wanting to do something more with his professional life, something more demanding and fulfilling. He wanted to serve on the S.S. Hope and sail around the world providing modern medical care where none existed. Or move to Ethiopia where there were fewer doctors per capita than almost anyplace else in the world. We didn’t know the term yet, but he sought tikkun olam, a Hebrew phrase meaning “to repair the world.” My mother supported his dreams, but she never really believed they would take her away from her home.
So why am I writing all of this? I’m telling you about my parents so you’ll understand what led me to write my book, “The Outskirts of Hope.” You may recognize the title. It’s a quote from Lyndon Johnson. He said, “Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope – some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both.” That’s how he introduced his War on Poverty back in 1964. My father enlisted in that war and my mother followed him, bringing my two older brothers and me along for the ride.
Forty years later, my mother, then in her eighties, started a journal. Every day she wrote for twenty minutes, sometimes writing about our time in Mississippi, but mostly recording all the family anecdotes, going back to the 1800s when her grandparents first emigrated to the U.S. from Eastern Europe. After several years, she’d amassed a pile of handwritten notebooks a foot high. My mother felt as if her task was complete at this point. But that was just the beginning for me.
Hope for the Holidays Reflection
I was so grateful for the amazing generosity that was displayed throughout the Hope for the Holidays Donation Drive this year! Thank you for much for helping me with it!
In the Lower Division, my main interaction with the children was through the chapel speech. Luckily, public speaking has gotten (a bit!) easier over the years. I love the LD's chapel service, and the fourth graders walked me through every step of it. I was nervous that some of them might be nervous to speak in front of the Upper Division, but they were surprisingly enthusiastic! I'm so glad that I received the opportunity to incorporate them into the speech because upon leaving, one told me that he couldn't wait to sit on the stage like StuCo and wanted to pursue that in high school, while another told me that she was excited to visit Infant Crisis Services!
Finally, in Upper Division, we typically don't expect as much contribution in donations as the other divisions because the students are so busy. This year taught me to stop underestimating the Upper Division, as their donations were truly heartfelt. Many students participated and shared a bit of their holiday with Infant Crisis Services. We received many more donations than I expected, but more importantly, many more students participated!
Thank you so much to Mrs. Clay. Hope for the Holidays wouldn't be here without you, and also thank you to Mrs. Smith! She helped me load the donations into the car and put up the Christmas tree.
Can't wait for next year!!
Thursday, January 4, 2018
From the desk of Sarah Smith
Miss Sarah Smith spent the last two weeks of December 2017 facilitating the Service-Learning Office and sponsoring YAC outreach service experiences as Mrs. Carmen Clay, Rainbolt Family Service Learning Chair had to leave Casady for an extended family leave of absence. Casady Service Learning welcomes the gifts Sarah brings to the program and looks forward to her leadership of the service program during the Spring term.
When asked to reflect on her two weeks at Casady Service-Learning, Sarah provided A Theologian’s Perspective on Casady School.
When asked to reflect on her two weeks at Casady Service-Learning, Sarah provided A Theologian’s Perspective on Casady School.
"I am a firm believer that we cannot separate our souls from our bodies and our bodies from our souls. Thus, we cannot care for just one because the other will suffer and perhaps die. Human beings must nurture each, and vigorously, in order to thrive! What is most encouraging to me in my brief time at Casady School is that the school seeks to do just that – develop the body and the soul.
Or perhaps we should just call the body and the soul combination simply - the human being.
The Episcopal spirit of the School is fully alive and the center and start to everyday at Casady. As an aspiring priest, I appreciate very much that each day begins in community in the chapel, in stillness and in prayer. And no matter one’s faith tradition or lack thereof, I think it’s important to have moments of quiet reflection and a gathering of one’s thoughts before the day begins. And in almost all faith traditions, the communal ritual of coming together in one sacred place reminds us that we are not alone, we need each other, and we are for each other.
Students have insanely busy schedules like most high school students, between sports, choir, drama, debate and a myriad of other extra-curricular activities. But what makes these students even more equip to go out into the real world is the community service requirements. The service learning requirement is not just a bodily volunteer activity where students fill needs in the community, although that is an important aspect of “boots on the ground” type work. What service learning tries to garner in each young human being is the capacity to empathize and to care for one’s fellow human being. It’s a spirit thing, a soul thing, or more precisely a matter of the heart.
This is a difficult value to instill in young people but it is, I believe, especially as a Christian, of extreme importance. Caring for one’s community and one’s fellow human is central to the gospel message and is easily a basic value to our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters. At Casady School, as I am learning, we practice this basic value in all of our practices. Even at lunch, we sit “family style” together at tables and share “family portions” of food as they are passed around.
Students probably don’t have the time to stop and think how significant it is that they are serving one another and helping nourish each other’s bodies so that they can go out in the world and help nourish others, too. In the same way, when Fr. Blizzard or Fr. Youmans shares the communion bread and cup. God’s body and God’s spirit through God’s blood enter into God’s people so we can be fed spiritually and bodily – holistically.
This is a special place, Casady School. Kids get to be immersed in a different model of communal life and learning that shapes their whole beings. Whether they know it or not, I hope one day they will look back on their time, like I have, and realize how purposeful, meaningful and formative these years really were to their whole life and their whole person.
I am thankful and honored to get to experience this community and this place and to watch human beings flourish and grow!"
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