We have been using recent editions of Swain Stories to reflect on specific components of our school mission - today we look at:   

The Swain School is a vibrant community which inspires students to achieve academic excellence, develop a strong sense of character, and act responsibly in a changing world. We empower children to build confidence, explore knowledge, and work collaboratively in a diverse and safe environment.   

This mission statement was an outgrowth of the initial work done to create the school's Strategic Plan for the years 2009-2014. With the approval of a new mission statement, Head of School Todd Stansbery asked a group of middle school leaders to craft an Honor Pledge, to give the community the 'how' to live the mission on a daily basis:   

and help others to do the same.   

The next step was to engage interested faculty and staff into a cohort to examine the mission's imperative of 'a diverse and safe environment'. The members of the Equity Committee, as the group is now called, examined how Swain was currently meeting that directive. Then they visited other schools, attended workshops, and worked with a professional consultant to craft this statement:

 Diversity Statement: The Swain School is an inclusive, equitable, and richly diverse community - reflective of the world at large. We value an open and welcoming intellectual environment that embraces the experiences, cultural beliefs and perspectives of all people.   

The Board of Trustees approved the new statement, and refinements were made to the existing Anti-Bullying policy and Non-Discrimination statement. These, along with the school's Equal Employment Opportunity policy, became Swain's Statements of Inclusion. They were shared with the larger community (you can see them posted on Swain's website: www.swain.org/inclusion).  

As Mr. Stansbery noted, "These statements were not telling us to do anything differently than we had done in the past; they were an attempt to articulate what the Swain community was already about."

The Equity Committee involved itself in planning several important events, including the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration and using the resources from the Borgenicht Foundation to bring several "Peace, Justice and Equity Through Education" events to the larger community.

Two members of the committee - Julia Getty, our Wellness Coordinator, and second grade teacher Joleen Hanlund - attended two workshops geared specifically for teachers. During our faculty/staff professional development sessions in late August, they presented many important ideas and strategies. For example, teachers should assure that each student has 'mirror' experiences (he sees himself and others like him) and 'window' experiences (she sees the experiences of those not like her). Additional training for teachers is being planned.

The time seemed right to extend the conversation to the families in the community, and last Wednesday Swain offered its first "Courageous Conversations". About two dozen parents, faculty and administrators accepted the invitation. Each was asked to share why they were attending - although everyone had different backgrounds and reasons, the main thread was that each had an interest in making sure our children have the motivation and skills to embrace those who different than they are, with whatever definition that might take.

It was a lively, open, and interesting conversation, and many attendees expressed appreciation that the school is offering this opportunity to learn and grow together.

In the meantime - as an outgrowth of visits from presenters Mikey Fowlin and John Hunter, and their involvement with Junior Model UN and regional Diversity Conferences - our middle school students have expressed a desire to form their own Equity group. They met for the first time last week and had many ideas about continuing these kinds of programs and dialogue.

Interested in continuing this conversation? Contact us at info@swain.org.