Community and Inclusion

C&I work cannot be done without COMMUNITY, and all of our faculty and staff are responsible for ensuring the success of building closer relationships that strengthen the St. John’s School community. I am excited to share how our work has created ways to bring people together for shared experiences across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools for our students, parents, and faculty.
 
For our youngest learners, the Bridge Books program was incorporated throughout the school year, and connecting through stories offered a powerful way for our Lower School students to discuss and deepen their understanding of gratitude, belonging, teamwork, and citizenship. A concerted effort was made to bridge the gap between the Upper School and Lower School students, selecting Upper School students to participate alongside Lower School students in special chapels. For our Lower School parents, you might have also noticed spirited Upper School students helping with Friday morning carpool—another way to help foster a cross-divisional connection for our students. Upper School students also shared their love of academics with the Lower School students by leading programs like Math and Munchies and Spanish and Snacks, and towards the end of the year, Class 12 English classes visited Lower School classrooms for shared writing experiences. The Upper School students were motivated to build community in all aspects of school life. From Unity Council to over 100 student-created and student-led clubs, the Upper School Students are constantly approaching me with ways to ensure that every student feels included and seen. In the Middle School, developing community and individual responsibilities within a community was a constant theme throughout the year. During Days of Giving our Service-Learning programs integrated time for reflection on the “why” and the “impact” of giving on individuals and their immediate spheres of influence. Through the Advisory program, Class 6 focused on individual responsibilities, ie. connections to self; while Class 7 explored connecting to others. Class 8, the leaders in the Middle School, emphasized connections to the broader community. The Middle School faculty worked, and continues, to impart to our students the importance of the St. John’s Precepts and Principles. 

 

Not only were students, faculty, and staff working on C&I initiatives throughout the year, but also our parents remained busy. Last year the Parent Community and Inclusion Committee (PCI) had its own theme: Belonging+. As a reminder, the PCI fosters building a sense of community through events offering parent-to-parent education and discussion forums. In the fall, we collaborated with the Wellness Team on a workshop with Dr. Jennifer Bryan about sexual identity and hosted two workshops for our parent community. In the spring, PCI conducted two workshops that replicated a couple of advisory activities from the Upper and Middle Schools so that parents could experience an advisory lesson through the lens of a student. Ideally these workshops were intended to help with opening up lines of communication between parents and their children through a shared experience. For the upcoming year, I welcome you to add the following PCI events to your calendar:

I wanted to add one more reflection to this update. With the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6, 2024, St. John’s School was honored to have legendary World War II Tuskegee Airman, Brigadier General Enoch Woodhouse II, speak in our Upper School last spring. It was an exceptional opportunity for our school and reiterates why C&I is relevant and important. Click here for the video. 

 

Onward to 2024-2025, this year’s C&I theme is BALANCE. Be on the lookout for ways to get involved and help cultivate a caring and cohesive community.

 

Sincerely,

 

D'Hania Hunt

Director of Community Engagement