VOICES "HERE, WE BELONG" Delbarton School Parent Council on Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: MR. LYMAN BY ABDIEL PERDE ‘24
May 23, 2022
IN THIS ISSUE Faculty Spotlight
Page 1
Parent Corner
2
Conversations
4
Celebrations
5
Announcements
8
Delbarton School Parent Council on Diversity & Inclusion
W
hen considering belonging, it’s easy to think about being a part of something, or for some, being excluded. I interviewed Mr. Andrew Lyman, a first year music teacher at Delbarton School on the topic of belonging, and he was delighted to share his story and the realities of his experiences – both within the Delbarton community and outside of it – being raised as an adopted child, with an adopted Indian brother and two white parents. I asked Mr. Lyman about first coming to Delbarton and his expectation of the experience in terms of belonging and fitting in and how the experience actually turned out. He shared that he started in August and wanted to be accepted by his colleagues first, then his students. But he was hopeful that he would be welcomed. Mr. Lyman said that he was truly accepted when he came in and it felt like a good fit. His
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Delbarton band teacher Mr. Lyman leading the MS band in the 2022 spring concert
colleagues did welcome him, and his students were receptive and friendly immediately. He was specifically drawn to the sophomore Intro to Music class at first because everyone was so open and talkative and that made him feel comfortable. Mr. Lyman felt differently growing up as a minority in the school he attended from K-12. He didn’t feel like he truly belonged in elementary school, but more due to the actions of adults, not fellow students. Mr. Lyman shared, “It’s a shame to feel that way as a student.” However, through all of his adversities, trials and tribulations, he persevered. Music allowed him to stand out in a positive way and fight back.
We are very excited to welcome you to the first issue of Delbarton PCDI’s biannual newsletter. We hope that you will be informed, engaged and inspired! For those who are just getting to know us, PCDI is an organization of Delbarton parents that helps our school fulfill its mission by affirming and supporting Delbarton’s belief that “when we foster inclusivity and universality in all dimensions of Delbarton life, we seek to ensure that members of our community have not just a foundational respect for others, but a deep and sincere understanding of the true interconnectedness of our global human family.” Thank you to all who have supported the great work of PCDI this school year!
During my Intro to Music class, Mr. Lyman mentioned that his parents adopted him from Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia. In our conversation for this article Mr. Lyman shared how it felt growing (continued on page 3)
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PARENT CORNER:
BELONGING AT DELBARTON, A MOM’S JOURNEY (PAGE 2) BY PATRICIA GOMEZ P ‘22
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