Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) VIsion Statement As a school, the diversity of our community is one of our greatest strengths. That diversity offers extraordinary learning opportunities for our students as well as opportunities to build lasting friendships and relationships across cultures, nationalities, and other aspects of identity. For our diversity to reach its full potential as a strength, it is important that our commitment to equity and inclusion for all members of our community be as strong as it is to diversity. Every student at SAS should feel valued, cared for, and included. Differences in culture, background, ability, identity, and perspective should be respected and celebrated; SAS has no place for racism or any other type of discrimination. It is only by creating a positive climate and inclusive culture that we will meet our vision to cultivate exceptional thinkers who are prepared for the future.
In the last few years at Singapore American School, we have had numerous thoughtful and reflective conversations with current students, alumni, parents, and educators. We continue to work towards making SAS a place where all community members feel safe, valued, welcome, and equitably treated. As DEI continues to be part of the fabric of SAS, below are some highlights from the culturally responsive learning communities that have been active in this work during this school year. Culturally responsive teaching means using students' customs, characteristics, experiences, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction. Culturally responsive environments are those in which diverse members of a community can all see themselves as belonging. The Community Engagement Culturally Responsive Learning Community has explored ways to make connections among SAS employees, parents and guardians, students, and members of the wider SAS family. We recognize that there are significant opportunities to expand the scope of conversations and education in the DEI sphere, both during the school day and in all of our everyday lives. Our work has centered on the many possible steps we might take to meaningfully engage with community members beyond those that have already been employed over the course of the past several years. We have also investigated the feasibility of collecting data that will allow us to identify our community’s needs and wants surrounding DEI issues. Our goals are ultimately to share information, foster reflection, and promote dialogue, all within a safe space that will ensure inclusive engagement.
DEI at SAS: C U L T U R A L LY R E S P O N S I V E LEARNING COMMUNITIES 5
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By D R . DA R N E LL FI N E Middle School Instructional Coach
We have most recently begun to curate a list of speakers—both Singaporean and international—who might come to SAS to participate in lectures and workshops. We have also started to develop a list of DEI-related resources (including websites, books, articles, movies, and podcasts) that we will eventually make available to all members of the SAS community. We look forward to the ongoing nature of this work.
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