The Harvard Public Schools welcomed 12 Afghan children to the school district after their families temporarily resettled in town last December. Despite the short notice, both the Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School consolidated resources to help the children acclimate to their new environment while also celebrating their own culture.
Teachers, staff, and students alike have contributed to the effort. The custodians secured extra desks, and English Language Development Specialist Samantha Pereyra expanded from a part-time to a full-time role to support the new students. Superintendent Linda Dwight acknowledged the community’s willingness to jump in and help and praised her staff’s expertise in working with the families.
In class, the new students have adapted to studying in English with reading programs and English learning apps in addition to scheduled sessions with Pereyra. Most teachers also use the state-mandated Sheltered English Instruction Endorsement program, allowing them to modify the curriculum to suit multilingual learners. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinator Marisa Caruccio Khurana said these resources had already been in use with other students, including a Chinese family this year. To specifically support the Afghan students, Khurana and Pereyra collaborated with Beth Graham, an instructional technology specialist: They created a new Padlet and internal website to compile resources and to foster a space for teacher collaboration and questions.
The district has also tried to help students feel comfortable with the cultural shift. In preparation for the families, the district held professional development sessions at both schools, providing cultural background from a diversity, equity, and inclusion perspective. The Harvard Neighborhood Support Team also offered a webinar about Afghan culture from a U.S.-based Afghan specialist.
With their culture in mind, the food services staff prepares Halal meals, and the district has set up a space for the students to pray. Hildreth Principal Josh Myler and Bromfield Principal Scott Hoffman acknowledged the staff for all its work, with Hoffman adding, “They’ve [gone] above and beyond to make sure the kids are welcome, and that they can adjust and have as seamless a transition as possible.”
The schools have also implemented a buddy system to aid in the students’ transition. At the elementary school, the buddies are in the same grade, and at the high school, the students share similar schedules. The system provides a valuable resource to the new students but also fosters friendship on both ends; Khurana recalled hearing a fifth-grade student excited to have been chosen as a buddy. She added that she’s enjoyed witnessing the cultural connections between the students: A student from Afghanistan was teaching another student how to count in Farsi, and Khurana contributed to their excitement by counting in Hindi. “It’s been a cultural exchange, not just for the newcomers, but also it’s really opened the horizons for the students,” said Khurana. “They’re exposed to a different global perspective.”
With the Select Board recently voting to temporarily lease Bromfield House to accommodate Afghan refugees, the Harvard Neighborhood Support team aims to welcome more families to town. Superintendent Dwight hopes that some can find housing and stay more permanently. “They’ve wanted to come to school, and they want to be a part of the community,” she said. “It’s a privilege that they’re here at all, so we would love for them to find a home here in Harvard.”
Rebecca Zhang is an Acton-Boxborough Regional High School senior and editor of the school’s student newspaper.
A group of girls from Afghanistan waits for the school bus in front of temporary housing where their families are staying. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
