The Island School aspires to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in our community. This statement articulates our goals as a community. We recognize that each person defines their own sense of self. We honor this. We believe the school has an obligation to advance the common good and encourage each participant to help build capacity in each other. We encourage critical thinking about the structure of society, infusing inclusionary curriculum and pedagogy in the classroom. More importantly, we encourage students to realize their power as advocates and allies. In doing this, we encourage children to envision a world they wish to see and help them build the resilience and conviction necessary to create it. We also recognize that making a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice requires ongoing review and examination of our beliefs, processes and structures. As a result, we view this statement as a dynamic one that will change and develop with the support and feedback of our community.
Diversity
Difference makes us stronger.
We believe celebrating, nurturing and pursuing diversity are essential to maintaining a vibrant school community. We recognize that diversity makes the world more engaging. Diversity of voices and stories helps us empathize and encourages us to understand multiple perspectives.
We commit to:
- creating a faculty, staff, and Board team that represents a diversity of backgrounds to ensure a variety of voices and perspectives are represented in our school.
- ongoing review of our curriculum to ensure diverse perspectives are represented and our instructional strategies meet the needs of our students.
Equity
Everyone gets what they need to shine.
At the Island School we believe that we have to identify and dismantle the structures that enable some students to succeed while other students struggle. We continually strive to help students identify and celebrate their unique learning needs and to provide the support and challenge necessary for our students to thrive.
We commit to:
- an admissions process that intentionally seeks students who represent many facets of diversity, removes obstacles in the application process and generously supports those families who need financial assistance to attend the school.
- an educational environment where students can grow and develop based on their own individual strengths and needs.
Inclusion
Embrace everyone for who they truly are.
At The Island School we foster a sense of belonging where everyone feels empowered to showcase their unique self while creating space for others to do the same, especially those who have experienced more barriers based on their identities.
We commit to:
- honoring and supporting students, parents, teachers and staff as they explore and present their whole selves to the outside world by providing a safe environment.
- implementing the concept of inclusion into our curriculum so students can begin to understand and explore its meaning.
- teaching students and families about the transformational power of social emotional learning and empowering children to serve as allies to those who have been marginalized and targeted.
- displaying The Island School’s diversity statement publicly on the website, in registration materials and embedding it as part of the school interview process (for students, families, teachers and staff) - all people are welcome.
Justice
Stand up for what is right.
The Island School is dedicated to the ideals of justice. We encourage our children to treat all people with dignity and fairness. Our classrooms provide students the opportunity to identify current and historical issues affecting the most vulnerable and work with them to consider solutions in an age-appropriate way.
We commit to:
- providing students the opportunity to transform their world peacefully through engagement in age-appropriate advocacy.
- identifying and transforming structures within our school that give privileges to some while disadvantaging others.
- ensuring the opportunity to participate is fully shared in the classroom by all students equally, especially those who have historically experienced identity-based barriers.