A Letter from the

A Letter from the Head of School

ear Friends, “Belonging” is an increasingly common word and value in schools – an educational concept and movement which St. Andrew’s has helped to pioneer and popularize. And yet, belonging is a deceptively challenging ideal, particularly in a broadly diverse community like St. Andrew’s. What does it really mean to belong in school – to feel truly welcomed and known as a person and a learner, to believe that your teachers, leaders, and peers really believe in your potential and have your best interests at heart? Why does belonging matter so much at St. Andrew’s, and how could we be even more successful in creating a community of full belonging each day on our campus? The articles in this magazine seek to answer those questions in the brave and candid voices of those we care about most – our students, teachers, and alumni. As St. Andrew’s Head of School for the past 20 years, I want to honor my fellow Lions by sharing my own answers with you as well. Why do I care about belonging, and how has my and the school’s understanding of its educational value deepened over time? Belonging at St. Andrew’s has always been rooted in our inclusive Episcopal identity. Even before our doors opened, our founders cared a great deal about the school’s religious identity, and that care had almost nothing to do with dogma or rituals. It had everything to do with the kind of environment that our students and the adults who taught them would feel every day. In the tribute to founding trustee David Beers in this magazine, fellow founder Audrey Demas remembers that our first leaders “came together in our commitment to building a school where every student could find their place.”

At a time when most mainstream schools expected children to conform to a narrow and prescribed notion of success, when happily accepting students with a broad range of interests and abilities was seen as a weakness, St. Andrew’s Episcopal identity shaped a new kind of school culture – one grounded in each child’s dignity, identity, and belonging. From its earliest days, St. Andrew’s desired a broadly pluralistic community that would encourage each student’s growth. For our founders, that meant a coed school for students of all beliefs (explicitly including those without a defined faith), students of varied economic means, and students of the broadest possible range of racial, ethnic, and international backgrounds. While today those expectations may sound obvious, for a fledgling, under-resourced school in a traditional independent school market like Washington 45 years ago, they were visionary and brave. Our founders’ inclusive beliefs shaped a supportive, student-centered faculty culture, and laid the groundwork for the broadly diverse and growth-minded community that St. Andrew’s enjoys today. That inclusive, positive spirit drew me to St. Andrew’s 20 years ago, along with the challenges and opportunities I saw in this exciting, young, open-minded school. During my interview process, trustees and faculty and I quickly agreed that becoming a more deeply diverse and inclusive community – especially racially and economically at that time – should be a priority for their next head of school. Even more importantly, I remember dozens of people asked me why diversity mattered to me as an educator. My answer then is my answer today: We learn best from each others’ differences in communities of true belonging. In 2002 I wrote to the community that “By challenging assumptions and biases, diverse learning environments develop students’ intellectual depth and agility. In today’s world, educational excellence requires that students experience, understand, and bridge differences first-hand.” I said yes to St. Andrew’s 20 years ago – and continue to call it my home – because the school has always understood that diversity and belonging improve everyone’s learning and growth – every classroom and athletic team, every faculty meeting and Board conversation, every story I hear and decision I make.

St. Andrew’s doesn’t accept the toocommon assumption that diversity only benefits “some students.” Our founders knew better, as we do today. No aspect of school or growing up is a zero-sum game or a solo endeavor; we learn in relationship and from each other, in communities of

dignity, respect, and friendship. That’s why diversity and belonging are pillars of a St. Andrew’s education that benefit all of our students, faculty, and alumni Lions. As you will see in this magazine, over the past 20 years St. Andrew’s has poured its energy, resources, and care into diversity and belonging. The racial and ethnic diversity of our student body and faculty and staff have tripled as a percentage of our total community, as has the percentage of students who receive financial support to attend and fully participate in the life of our community. Unlike many other religious schools, our Episcopal values have guided St. Andrew’s to embrace students, families, and faculty and staff from across the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. We have a thriving culture of student and alumni affinity groups that work in partnership to enrich our educational programs and promote a culture of leadership, understanding, and belonging. And led by our Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, St. Andrew’s has grounded our commitment to belonging in educational research as much as in our school values. More students than ever now feel that they can bring their “full selves” to school each day, knowing they will be welcomed by name and understood as individuals. More decisions than ever are clearly grounded in how we can make each child and adult feel connected, supported, and excited about their growth.

Finally, I hope you will read in this magazine that St. Andrew’s is neither perfect nor satisfied. We know that we have only partly achieved our mission to build and sustain a broadly diverse community of full belonging. In an era when too many institutions have self-sorted for ideological sameness, we recognize that our mission includes bridging differences of thought and perspective through respectful listening and gracious discourse. And we accept that our community ideals have grown more challenging and urgent in a society of increased isolation and decreased trust. While we are proud of our progress, we acknowledge our shortcomings and embrace the challenging work to be done. Whether you joined our St. Andrew’s community a few months or several decades ago, please know that you will always be welcome and belong here. Thank you for supporting the spirit of our founders, the vision we share today, and the learning and growth of every one of our Lions.

Faithfully,

I said yes to St. Andrew’s 20 years ago – and continue to call it my home – because the school has always understood that diversity and belonging improve everyone’s learning and growth – every classroom and athletic team, every faculty meeting and Board conversation, every story I hear and decision I make.

Robert Kosasky Head of School