community

Building a More Safe, Open, and Authentically Inclusive Community

Dear SCH Community: I write this in a cozy corner of our 62-acre campus as 42 student facilitators have gathered to practice the Social Action Workshops that they’ve designed in preparation for the seventh annual SCHout conference. Forty-two students who have dedicated an entire Saturday to this important work. As they meticulously prepare their slides and icebreakers, the action-oriented energy is palpable. Just like our navigation of a global pandemic, our journey to building a fully inclusive community is ever evolving. But we are up for the challenge. As these students and their faculty mentors refine workshops such as "Inside Out: Changing the Mindset about People with Disabilities," "White Privilege in the LGBTQ Community," and "Reframing Sustainability and Confronting Environmental Injustice," I can’t help but be inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm with which our students approach this work and feel it’s a great time to reflect on what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) looks like in action across our campus. Allow me to share a bit about what has transpired, what’s happening now, and what we are looking forward to in the world of DEI at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

With gratitude, Rayna Guy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Looking Back

For some, the journey toward an inclusive community began in 2020 when the United States faced a moment of reckoning as people across the country gathered in protest of violence against Black and Brown citizens. These were raw and honest moments that served as a catalyst in the acceleration of the work that was already under way in our school community. Through candid conversations with families, students, and alumni that were honest, fruitful, and cathartic, four pillars of action were identified that would drive our work moving forward. Those four pillars are: 1. Forming a trustee-level DEI Committee composed of trustees, parents, and alumni to consider and recommend practices and policy across all aspects of SCH. 2. Creating a platform for discourse within our parent community. 3. Hiring a workforce at SCH that better represents the diversity of the student body. 4. Training our faculty and staff in DEI practices, rethinking curriculum, and analyzing the lenses through which we teach.

Through candid conversations with families, students, and alumni that were honest, fruitful, and cathartic, we developed four pillars of action which would drive our work moving forward.

In the last two years, the school has taken steps to address each of these pillars. Staff members have undergone intensive professional development in the areas of building and maintaining anti-racist classrooms and spaces for all students. Every staff and faculty member took part in professional learning communities, which met monthly throughout the 2020-2021 school year and discussed many topics such as stereotype threat, discipline practices, East Asian racism, mass incarceration, and personal mission drafting. Here are just a few of the personal missions crafted by members of our staff and faculty community: • “To empower others to find power in themselves, find their purpose, and fulfill their purpose." • “To educate and activate others to advocate for equity and justice for historically and currently marginalized populations." • “I want to teach my kids that they can do anything they want as long as they are happy. I also want them to care about their community and speak up when there are injustices.” • “My mission is to inspire positivity, joy, confidence, and respect for others through my teaching, mentoring and parenting.” Research by the DEI Committee has produced data in the areas of student retention, student success, and faculty retention, which is helping to drive our planning and programming for students and families. As the world changes, so does our community. Through programs such as the Independent School Teaching Fellows of Greater Philadelphia— which seeks to recruit, train, and retain talented college graduates of color to become effective and creative teachers—we are working to ensure that the makeup of the adults in our community more closely mirrors that of our student body. Of course, this only skims the surface of the work that is being done by our staff and students, both on and off campus.

Looking In

One key way in which we are holding ourselves accountable to creating and sustaining change that will increase the sense of belonging in the SCH community is through a

Student facilitators lead a discussion during a student-led Day of Understanding (Now Moment of Understanding).

curriculum audit. Using standards developed by Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) that serve as a roadmap for anti-bias education at every stage of K–12 instruction, teachers in every department and every division are pouring over their curriculum and finding places where particular voices and concepts are missing. In action, this looks like incorporating activities that illuminate the Buddhist culture as students in 10th grade English read Siddhartha, or highlighting the contributions of mathematicians from marginalized communities. By adding these voices into the curriculum in alignment with preexisting authors and topics, we aspire to cultivate an environment that is just and equitable for everyone. Another key way in which we are ensuring that all students and staff experience a sense of belonging in the community is through the implementation of "Belonging Surveys" (an anonymous survey for constituencies to provide feedback on the climate at SCH), which have been administered to staff, faculty, and Upper School students with plans to have Middle School students participate as well. As a result of these surveys, we have identified and are already implementing key areas for growth. We are adding to robust programming already in place, such as AEIOU (Awareness, Empathy, Inclusion, Opportunity through Differences, and Understanding), a Middle School curriculum created to foster discussions around important topics related to DEI, and the annual SCHout conference, which welcomes 200+ high school students to campus for a day of sharing and learning, including workshops designed and facilitated by SCH students. A number of divisionspecific initiatives have been launched as we continue to grow some of our long-standing programming. Following are a few examples of all the things that are happening on campus to cultivate a true sense of belonging for every individual:

• Pollyanna: The mission of Pollyanna is to advance systemic change by developing stronger communities through programs that enhance cultural competency, racial literacy, and equity practices. • BREATHE: The goal of the BREATHE program (Be Ready to Embrace All through Hope and Empathy), developed by an SCH staff member, is to teach our youth how to embrace diversity and manage the feelings and curiosities they have around differences. The program's objective is to help students learn how to listen to each other, facilitate a safe space for them to talk openly about feelings and curiosities, and teach them how to have constructive conversations about difficult issues and personal reflections.

Middle School:

• Alumni Speaker Series: Begun in 2019, this series introduces Middle School students to alumni of color pursuing careers in various fields and provides opportunities for the students to ask them questions. • AEIOU curriculum: This DEI-based curriculum builds on

SCH’s mission to create an inclusive community.

Upper School:

• Moments of Understanding (MOU): Occurring throughout the school year, MOUs are studentled conversations about various diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. During these moments, which sometimes include a speaker, the Upper School community pauses classes to engage deeply in a topic.

Recent MOUs have focused on race, LGBTQ allyship, and consent.

• DEI Council: a student-led group committed to celebrating diversity, taking action to ensure equity, and building an inclusive community in which every person feels a sense of belonging. The heads of the council are elected by the entire student body and sit on the Student Leadership Team. This council has a horizontal leadership structure, with all members having an equal voice.

Raichl Davenport, SCH's first Independent School Teaching Fellow, works with 4th grade boys at holiday time.

Looking forward

As we look to the future of DEI at SCH we would like to make note of several important additions or revisions to initiatives across campus, including, but not limited to: • Horizons at SCH: a summer enrichment program for area students from under-resourced communities.

Horizons at SCH is part of a national network of 60+ tuition-free summer programs that deliver high-quality academic and enrichment support for students, Pre-K through high school. Students begin Horizons the summer after Kindergarten and return each summer through 8th grade. Last year's cohort of 16 students will be joined by another cohort this summer. • Diversity Parent Resource Network (DPRN): a committee of parents who are committed to promoting

DEI work and celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DPRN aims to encourage and provide opportunities for the SCH community to engage and enhance its own understanding of diversity, and to help build trusting and positive relationships among students, families, and the faculty body as we work to promote inclusion and equity opportunities for all. • Addition of Learning for Justice standards in faculty evaluations: The Social Justice Standards (a subset of the LFJ standards) are a set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains—Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action (IDJA). These standards provide a common language and organizational structure. Teachers can use them to guide curriculum development, and administrators can use them to make schools more just, equitable, and safe. The standards are leveled for every stage of K–12 education and include school-based scenarios to show what anti-bias attitudes and behavior may look like in the classroom.

Of course it's impossible to capture the full scope of our everyday DEI practices within the confines of a magazine piece, but I do hope that this has illuminated the integral parts of how we live out our commitment to diversity on campus and beyond. Sincerely, Rayna Guy

It is our privilege to welcome the newest members of the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Board of Trustees, who will serve for a three-year term ending in 2024.

William ("Will") F. Dunbar

Parent Children: Saki ’23, William ’24, and Grant ’29

Managing Partner, Dunbar & Associates, Government Affairs Firm

"My most important impact on the world is my investment as a father in my three boys. It is extremely important to me to spend my time ensuring that their school community is not only a place for them and their educational development but also a place where I can invest my time and talents to ensure all of our students and community are poised for success."

William (“Bill”) H. Freeman ’91

Alumnus, Parent Children: William ’23, Madison ’24, and Holden ’28

Financial Services Professional

"I have a strong sense of the history of both CHA and Springside in addition to SCH present day. With this experience, in addition to my background in the financial services industry, I hope to add helpful perspective to the board as well as the overall conversation driving the path forward for SCH."

Thomas Shaw Greenwood III ’01

Alumnus, Parent Children: Elizabeth “Lila,” Georgia, and John (“Jamie”) ‘35

Principal, Springer Capital, LLC

"As an alum and now SCH trustee, I look forward to seeing the rich history and many great traditions of both Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School blending with the exciting and innovative elements of SCH as we continue to move into the future. It is hard not to feel the great momentum that the school has going right now. From the brand new McCausland Lower School, to the Rec renovation, to the new and improved Commons space, there is so much to be excited about as an alum, a parent, a trustee, and a member of the community!"

It is our privilege to welcome the newest members of the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Board of Trustees,

Maria Sordoni Hudacek ’02

Alumna, Former Springside Trustee Senior Client Associate, The Erickson, Hudacek & Leibman Group at Merrill Lynch

“My love, respect, and appreciation for this school is what led me to become an SCH board member. It was during my first term serving that the merger was completed, and despite some rocky times, it was really important to me to be a part of this historical move. Seeing firsthand the immense growth and development of this school and its community since then has been extraordinary, and I am overjoyed to be back.”

Dr. Mark van der Helm

Parent Children: Karina ’24 and Ariana ’27

Vice President, Energy and Facilities Management Walmart

"I am relatively new to Chestnut Hill and Philadelphia. Though my recent jobs have taken me outside of PA, our kids have stayed, and will stay, at SCH because it’s an educational institution at the forefront of preparing the next generation with the necessary talents, experiences, and curiosity they’ll need to have an impact on the world. My professional focus is the environment. In similar spirit to that pursuit, SCH will need to continue to reinvent itself to meet the needs of the coming generations, and I look forward to contributing to that evolution."

Mims Maynard Zabriskie

Former Springside and SCH Trustee, Parent of Alumnae

Children: Emily ’06, Marguerite ’13, and Isabelle ’16

Partner, Morgan Lewis

"My three daughters thrived at SCH (Springside) in different ways, with the common themes being excellent academics, encouraging teachers, and room to explore. SCH helped each of my daughters develop talents they were naturally drawn to and discover interests they had no idea they had. SCH never says “we have always done it that way” and instead says “why don’t we try it?” I have seen SCH transition from two excellent schools with distinct personalities to one extraordinary, focused school that inspires unbounded curiosity in our students. I am excited to be part of the next chapter of SCH’s growth."