DEI Newsletter—Fall 2021

NEWSLETTER DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

A dynamic, engaging education. A nurturing, inclusive community.

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

DEI LETTER: FROM THE DESK OF ROGER BRIDGES

DEI Letter: From the Desk of Roger Bridges Upcoming Events Book Suggestions What Is DEI? Updates & Highlights

UPCOMING EVENTS November 29 December 3, 2021

People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership Conferences (online)

December 14, 2021

Affinity Group WELCOME for Parents of Color (online)

BOOK SUGGESTIONS All In

Autobiography by Billie Jean King

The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off In the Knowledge Economy Scott E. Page

We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom Dr. Bettina L. Love

Fall Semester 2021-22

Dear Windward Community, On behalf of myself, Ashley Goodman, and Tyrone Powell (The Windward DEI Team), I wanted to extend a warm hello to you and yours. As we near the end of the first trimester of the school year, I thought it would be beneficial for the community to hear from me about our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. And for those of you who I haven’t had the opportunity to connect with, this is an opportunity to get to know me a bit more and to understand our philosophy and our approaches to the important work of DEI. The work of DEI is a complex undertaking. One never quite “arrives” at a finish line in this work. It is a journey to be sure. There are road markers that we can point to to let us know that we are “ascending”, gaining ground, or taking steps backwards.

However it is not a destination that we seek, but rather growth, transformation, and a knowledge that our work is rooted in tried and true best practices that will serve the needs of our student body and the school community for years to come. That is the goal.

I’d like to share with you a few key priorities and initiatives we are engaged in this year (goals/objectives) and illuminate for you the path that we’re on currently. We are focusing our efforts this year on three main areas: Admissions and Enrollment It is said that our young people are preparing to enter a workforce consisting largely of jobs that do not currently exist. Armed with this knowledge, the “how” of our approach to preparing our students for this “real world” reality is an important consideration. Similarly, it is paramount that we set our students up for success by preparing them to navigate an increasingly racially diverse and multicultural world.

One of the ways we can prepare them for this reality is by creating, fostering and nurturing a racially and culturally diverse student body. Before our school year began, The DEI Team along with our Head of School Tom Gilder, began working closely with the Admissions Team to ensure that our student body reflects the rich cultural and racial diversity of the Greater Los Angeles area.

The importance and impact of fostering a racially diverse student body is grounded in best practices, research, and data. Research tells us that students who are part of more heterogeneous school communities yield better academic outcomes than their counterparts in more homogeneous school environments. Additionally, the

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WHAT IS DEI? DEI Basics - What is Diversity? What is Equity?

What is Inclusion?

DIVERSITY is who we are.

It is the acknowledgment and recognition of the myriad of ways we exist, identify, and show up in our community and in the world.

EQUITY is ensuring that ALL students and community members have what they need to fully participate in school life and reach their greatest potential.

INCLUSION is taking every individual’s experience and identity into account in striving to create an environment in which all are seen, heard, valued and possess a sense of belonging. The ultimate outcome and goal of inclusion work is that every community member has a sense of belonging.

importance of inclusion plays a major role in academic success. There is a direct correlation between how isolated students feel (sense of belonging) and academic achievement. The higher the feeling of isolation, the lower the academic achievement.

grow as people and as learners is that even though they are quite skilled at what they do, they still are willing to learn, grow and try new things. They embrace the concept of life-long learning. And this passion for learning is passed along to our students.

Campus Climate and the Student Experience At the end of the day, what do we all want for our students? We want them to be happy. We want them to be engaged learners. We want them to have joy in the learning process. We want to see them grow socially, emotionally, and intellectually. The school house as it used to be referred to is where young people spend the majority of their waking hours. It is the place where they learn how the world works, where they learn what it is to feel emotionally and physically safe, and at times where they may experience what it is like to feel unsafe. In light of all of the above, our DEI Team devotes a significant portion of our work towards creating a campus culture and climate, which nurtures our students' spirits, where they feel safe to be their authentic selves, and where they feel encouraged and affirmed in their curiosity about life and their world.

We pride ourselves on our student and parent partnerships and embrace the spectrum of new feedback and critique as well as offerings of new ideas. To that end, we will continue to work closely with the Parent Guild, led by Marnie Altman, and the DEI Support Committee, led by Chelsea Patterson, to ensure that our parents have that same sense of welcome and belonging.

Since August, the DEI Team has engaged our faculty in conversations about identity development, creating safe learning spaces, meeting ALL students where they are and getting to know students so that they can support them in evolving as critical thinkers and global citizens. I personally have begun to meet with department chairs and department teams to facilitate DEI-centered conversations about curriculum offerings and how classroom teachers can adjust their practices to create inclusive learning environments.

Faculty Professional Development/ Curriculum Development The true strength of our school is without a doubt the classroom teachers who instruct our students every day.

Tom often remarks at prospective parent open houses that he believes we have the best faculty in Los Angeles. It is a subjective opinion but one I share.

I believe the secret to this amazing group’s abilities to help young people

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At the end of the day, our collective work and partnerships––whether it be the DEI Team and faculty, or faculty and parents or students and faculty––is about laying a foundation for accountability and evolution. We need each other to grow as a school community and as individuals. The proof of our success and failures lies in the academic and social-emotional outcomes of our students. Their engagement, joy, and overall student experience is the focus of our team efforts.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any other member of the DEI Team.

My only request as always is that you approach the conversation in the spirit of partnership and collaboration. I truly believe if we adopt this norm for how we engage in dialogue, there is no problem or issue that we can’t solve or adequately address.

All the best, Roger Bridges Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

AFFINITY AND OPEN SPACE 2021-22 • Our Student Affinity Groups, which started last school year, launched for the 2021-22 school year in October and have continued into this month. Students are invited to sign up for one of several group offerings based on how they identify. Students who do not sign up for an affinity group meet in a large group “open space” forum to reflect on the over concept of community and discuss issues related to community engagement, the importance of empathy, and belonging.

• Parent/Guardian Affinity and Open Space Groups will formally launch with an online welcome event on December 14. We recently distributed a survey to gauge interests in various affinity groups and open space offerings. If you’d like to sign up for a group and or suggest an open space that would be of interest to you, fill out this form.

POLLYANNA CONFERENCE On Saturday, October 23, Windward sent a team to the Pollyanna Conference at Harvard Westlake School for the 5th consecutive year. Our team included administrators, faculty, staff, students, an alum, and a trustee. The mission of Pollyanna is to create a platform "where groups of people can explore together diversity, inclusion, and equity and share ideas, experiences, and knowledge to become change agents in their immediate communities." The theme for the conference this year was "Reimagining Resiliency with Resolve." The team looks forward to bringing back what they learned to the Windward community.

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STUDENT-LED INITIATIVES Saturday, November 6, 2021

Windward School was proud to serve as a major sponsor of the annual Across Colors Diversity Conference (ACDC) hosted by The Independent School Alliance.

The mission of the conference is to provide a safe space for the professional development of parents, board members, faculty and staff of all backgrounds in independent schools.

ACDC also allows students to engage in hands-on activities and participate in content-based discussions on the importance of building and sustaining inclusive, nurturing forward-thinking independent school campuses.

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH November is national Native American Heritage Month. The theme of this year's celebration is “Gifts of Our Ancestors: Celebrating Indigenous Knowledge and Cultures.”

The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

National Native American Heritage Month Timeline National Native American Heritage Month Resources (Learning for Justice)

SAGA: National Coming Out Day

On October 11, SAGA (Sexuality And Gender Alliance) threw a National Coming Out Day party on the bridge. National Coming Out day is an important event within the LGBTQ+ community because it acknowledges the hardships of coming out and celebrates those who have. Windward creates a safe space for those who haven’t come out yet, which is a really important thing to do. “I was happy to see so many people embracing their true identity. I felt as if the WW community has grown so much more accepting,” said student member Keely Romine-West.

We give a big thanks to Cielo Botello-Williams and Alia Faubert who helped coordinate and plan the whole thing. “I’m thankful for how accepting the SAGA community is, and it really helped me gain confidence to come out to more people,” said student member JJ Dawley.

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STUDENT-LED INITIATIVES

BSU

Hispanic Heritage Month: October 15—November 15

Black Student Union (BSU)

Co-organizer Alondra Cardenas (Class of 2022): “The celebration was really important because it was an opportunity to share my culture and things that are important to me with my friends and peers. I really enjoyed being able to put together the celebration with Sofia (Borin) and Frances ( Jones) with the support of the rest of the administration and community.”

This school year, students have created Windward’s Black Student Union (BSU), which serves as an organization that empowers, educates, and nurtures our black students. Through community outreach, conversations, guest speakers, mentorship programs, and group projects, the BSU is dedicated to ensuring our black students have a comfortable space to share their thoughts and tap into their greatness.

Our mentorship program allows the Upper School students to guide and empower the Middle School students through on-campus challenges and triumphs.

Please join us in creating an organization dedicated to instilling a positive and progressive environment for our black students. All grades and those who serve as Allies are welcome to join.

Co-organizer Sofia Borin (Class of 2022): “I was so excited that Alondra and I had the opportunity to see our ideas come together during Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Culture is often left out of history, which makes continuing to share the culture and traditions I am so proud of that much more important.

With the help of Windward students and teachers, we were able to bring the celebration to our community.

It was amazing to see so many people show up at our booth, interested to learn and celebrate our culture alongside us.”

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