San Leandro USD
Tradition and Innovation
PRESS RELEASE: SLUSD School Board Votes to Rename Woodrow Wilson to Halkin Elementary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SLUSD School Board Votes to Rename Woodrow Wilson to Halkin Elementary
SAN LEANDRO, CA – At the May 10th San Leandro Unified School District board meeting, trustees voted to approve the renaming of Wilson Elementary School to Halkin Elementary after the culmination of a two-year community engagement process regarding the name of the school.
Halkin Elementary was one of the names put forth by the school for consideration to honor the history of the area now known as San Leandro, which is in the traditional Halkin homeland between San Leandro Creek and San Lorenzo Creek of the Chochenyo and the Bay Mewuk Ohlone people, per the San Leandro Historical Society and local indigenous groups in the San Leandro community.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of the larger San Leandro community, and our school community, that was willing to do the hard, important work of learning and uplifting who and where we are,” said Principal Virginia Quock, “this work truly represents the district’s mission for equity and inclusivity, and I am incredibly proud that our students and their families were so deeply involved in the process.”
Determining new names for the school included schoolwide project-based learning units to research the history of Wilson Elementary's land. This educational process was supplemented with resources from the San Leandro History Museum, the East Bay Regional Parks Ohlone Curriculum, and visits from local indigenous community members, who also attended last night’s board meeting.
“My family has lived here in the area we now call San Leandro forever, and we have never left even after a violent history of colonization, including enslavement at Mission San Jose,” said Vincent Medina, a Halkin member of the community, “Despite those hardships and through the strength of our elders and ancestors we continue to be here in our home, in Halkin. This renaming to Halkin Elementary is on the trajectory of giving justice and equity to these members of our community who have always been here in San Leandro.”
The renaming request began in June 2020 with a petition signed by over 75% of the school staff and families highlighting President Wilson’s documented history of racist, segregationist policies and practices during his presidency and the disconnect with SLUSD goals for equity and inclusion. School and district administration followed a board-approved process to solicit feedback from staff, families, alumni, and the greater San Leandro community through surveys, forums, and ongoing publicity.
“This is an opportunity for us as a community to uplift another community who has not historically been allowed to speak in these larger public spaces in contemporary history,” said School Board President James Aguilar, “this was the right decision as we are a school district committed to equity.”
The timeline and processes for moving to Halkin Elementary will begin immediately, with expected completion before the 2022-2023 school year.
About the San Leandro Unified School District
The San Leandro Unified School District operates a comprehensive TK-12 program and an adult school at 13 campuses throughout San Leandro. The district educates its students by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies and innovative teaching strategies to help students achieve academic excellence and become collaborative and competitive in a global society. For more information, visit www.slusd.us.
CONTACT: Keziah Moss, Director of Community & Employee Engagement, (510) 667-6202, kmoss@slusd.us
SAN LEANDRO, CA – At the May 10th San Leandro Unified School District board meeting, trustees voted to approve the renaming of Wilson Elementary School to Halkin Elementary after the culmination of a two-year community engagement process regarding the name of the school.
Halkin Elementary was one of the names put forth by the school for consideration to honor the history of the area now known as San Leandro, which is in the traditional Halkin homeland between San Leandro Creek and San Lorenzo Creek of the Chochenyo and the Bay Mewuk Ohlone people, per the San Leandro Historical Society and local indigenous groups in the San Leandro community.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of the larger San Leandro community, and our school community, that was willing to do the hard, important work of learning and uplifting who and where we are,” said Principal Virginia Quock, “this work truly represents the district’s mission for equity and inclusivity, and I am incredibly proud that our students and their families were so deeply involved in the process.”
Determining new names for the school included schoolwide project-based learning units to research the history of Wilson Elementary's land. This educational process was supplemented with resources from the San Leandro History Museum, the East Bay Regional Parks Ohlone Curriculum, and visits from local indigenous community members, who also attended last night’s board meeting.
“My family has lived here in the area we now call San Leandro forever, and we have never left even after a violent history of colonization, including enslavement at Mission San Jose,” said Vincent Medina, a Halkin member of the community, “Despite those hardships and through the strength of our elders and ancestors we continue to be here in our home, in Halkin. This renaming to Halkin Elementary is on the trajectory of giving justice and equity to these members of our community who have always been here in San Leandro.”
The renaming request began in June 2020 with a petition signed by over 75% of the school staff and families highlighting President Wilson’s documented history of racist, segregationist policies and practices during his presidency and the disconnect with SLUSD goals for equity and inclusion. School and district administration followed a board-approved process to solicit feedback from staff, families, alumni, and the greater San Leandro community through surveys, forums, and ongoing publicity.
“This is an opportunity for us as a community to uplift another community who has not historically been allowed to speak in these larger public spaces in contemporary history,” said School Board President James Aguilar, “this was the right decision as we are a school district committed to equity.”
The timeline and processes for moving to Halkin Elementary will begin immediately, with expected completion before the 2022-2023 school year.
About the San Leandro Unified School District
The San Leandro Unified School District operates a comprehensive TK-12 program and an adult school at 13 campuses throughout San Leandro. The district educates its students by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies and innovative teaching strategies to help students achieve academic excellence and become collaborative and competitive in a global society. For more information, visit www.slusd.us.
CONTACT: Keziah Moss, Director of Community & Employee Engagement, (510) 667-6202, kmoss@slusd.us