I am in my fourth year at DCD, which I am so thrilled about. This community is a very special one, and from our Board, to our parents and caregivers, to our faculty and staff, and of course our students, I can say with confidence that we have one of the most welcoming school communities in our AISNE network. Am I a little biased? Of course, but I firmly believe that each of us tries to approach DCD from the space of “learning is a way of life.”

I also know, without any judgment, that folks on campus might not be entirely clear as to what DEI means, and how this work plays out at DCD. And that is completely fine! Part of my job is to make sure that people understand my job, and that understanding looks different in Pre-K than it does to our adults.

Let’s start with the basics. For our school, we use the following definitions:

  • Diversity: Embracing the presence of difference in many forms in our community
  • Equity: Facilitating fair treatment, opportunity, and access to resources for all people within our community
  • Inclusion: Feeling a sense of openness and welcome as it relates to identity, perspective, feelings, and physical presence

And finally, we have:

  • Belonging: Feeling part of a community. Feeling actively engaged and invested in the community in ways that feel meaningful.

I like to say that the D, E and I are under my purview, but the “B” belongs to all of us; it’s our collective responsibility to create a sense of belonging at DCD.

You might be familiar with affinity spaces and dialogue groups on campus, or events like the MLK Day Assembly (1/17/25)  and the CommUNITY evening (2/13/25). While these are clear examples of “the work”, in reality, my job encompasses a lot more day to day interactions. For example:

If you have a student with learning needs, my job is to advocate for them and to refer them to the adults on campus who can help them get academic and emotional support.

If you have a student who is kosher, my job is to ensure that the kitchen is aware that we need kosher options (and vegetarian options!) available at every lunch and every DCD event; this applies to children with allergies or gluten-free children as well.

If your child has a broken leg, it is my job to make sure that they have access to campus.

If your child doesn’t celebrate Halloweeen, it is my job to make sure there’s an alternative for them when we have our Halloween assembly.

We are all different, unique in our own way, which means that DEI applies to all of us. For some, there is an acute need to address, while for others, there is not. However, no matter where your current needs lie, I promise that you and I can likely be in collaboration with one another in more ways than you might think! Reach out to me any time with thoughts, questions, concerns, or anything you would like to mull over.