What our Parents and Community have to say about the East/Moody Decision

Sent in our most recent email update:

Dear friends,

There is a heaviness we all feel today for the North Littleton Promise families as the decision was made to merge East Elementary with Moody Elementary in a new building at the Moody location in the Fall of 2023. While there is hope on the horizon for equity in the future, we want to invite you to sit in the heaviness with our families in this time. It is easy for us to go on with our day, not allowing ourselves to know the grief that our immigrant neighbors feel. What would it look like for you to engage instead of moving on? Would you pray ceaselessly for our families throughout your day? Would you cry with deep compassion and empathy over something that does not affect you directly? As you process these questions, look at what our parents and NLP community had to say as they processed the school decision for themselves:

Parent: "What comforts me is that they now know we exist and we care for our children, our schools, and our community. We will embrace this new change. It's not the first time and it won't be the last this has/will happen to us. That's why we stick together, to keep going forward with positivity and optimism."

Partner of NLP to parents: "I am sad and disappointed about tonight's decision. But more than that, I am proud of and in awe of you all courageously and vulnerably using your voices to advocate for your community and children...I have hope that we can, together, continue to use our voices to create a safe, diverse, equitable, and flourishing community. We NEED your presence to be our best community."

Parent: "This life is full of challenges, and I have to face them with great strength and perseverance."

Parent: "Let's not get discouraged. We have a lot to do in this new school, and the important thing is to stay together."

We want to call attention to, more than anything, the courage our families have shown in speaking up for their community. It is easy to come into a room as a U.S. born citizen of the right color and socioeconomic class and share your opinion. It is much harder to know that others look at you differently, or might even see you as less, and to bravely fight for yourself. We are grateful that our families have not stood alone in this time, but rather they have had a whole community backing them from the beginning. Thank you for coming alongside us and our families. Thank you for listening, encouraging, praying, advocating, and at times just being there. Your ministry of presence has been felt throughout all of NLP.  

Moving Forward: There is a lot to be said about the future of Littleton and our families. The Board of Education has made this decision in light of the City of Littleton’s work on a Unified Land Use Code that may bring redevelopment to certain areas of Littleton. Brian Ewert, LPS Superintendent, has committed to involving neighborhood families in upcoming decisions like a new community center at East, once students move to the new building. We are thankful for the recognition of our community and the importance of their voices--despite that it did not change the school decision--and we are waiting in full expectation for them to be invited to the table more often. We want to acknowledge members of the Board of Education, Littleton Public School district leadership, and our own Littleton community who acknowledged our families during the decision, for you have truly paved a way for immigrants to be acknowledged in the future. 

We will never forget this huge step forward into advocacy and equity that was made by our families, our team, and by you, our faithful partners. 

God's compassion be in you as you pray with us today, 

-Ashley and the NLP Team