Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

List of 7 items.

• Vision

  As a community, work together to make the world a more just and inclusive place for everyone.

• Philosophy

  At Redwood Day we inspire students to embrace differences and develop the emotional courage to respect and appreciate the diversity within our community and beyond. Through engaging in our program, we want every student to be seen and heard and to feel safe and valued. And we want students to see, hear, support, and value others. Redwood Day embeds cultural competence, equity and inclusivity, and social justice throughout our curriculum and programming for students and adults.
  
  

  We view diversity broadly, and much of our curriculum and programming reflects this in developmentally appropriate ways, focusing on topics such as ability, adoptive families, citizenship status, ethnicity, family structure, gender expression and identity, learning styles, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomics. Redwood Day’s DEI philosophy also informs our admissions and hiring practices.

• Goals

  We want community members to:

  • Feel seen, heard, safe, and valued
  • Explore and celebrate identity
  • Embrace differences
  • Understand systems of power and privilege
  • Develop the courage and skills to be active allies and change makers

• Approach

  Equity and inclusion groups offer students a chance to build community within and beyond their regular classrooms. Faculty, staff, and students convene for ten sessions throughout the school year to engage in intentional discussions about various aspects of identity including ability, class, ethnicity, gender, and race. Kindergarten classes meet together and explore identity through the lens of family and sibling identity. Grades 1-8 meet in mixed-grade groups: First with Second, Third with Fourth, Fifth with Sixth, and Seventh with Eighth. These pairings provide an opportunity for students to get to know each other better, find connections, and appreciate differences.

• Scope and Sequence for Equity and Inclusion Groups

  Grades K-8	Grades 3-8	Grades 5-8	Grades 7-8
  Explore and Celebrate Identity	Recognize and Understand Different Perspectives	Explore Race and Gender Expression and Identity	Explore Intersectionality of Race and Other Identities

• Affinity Groups

  Affinity groups provide support, connection, and affirmation to people whose identities may differ from the majority population and culture. Beyond Equity and Inclusion groups, we also offer student-led affinity groups for Middle School. Student leaders receive training on meeting facilitation and lesson planning and are supervised by a faculty/staff member. Current groups offered include:

   

  • Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA)
  • People of Color (POC)

  
  Faculty and staff meet in race-based affinity groups throughout the school year. This year, we launched parent affinity groups to support underrepresented families at Redwood Day including:

  
  

  • Asian/Pacific Islander/Desi American Heritage
  • Black/African American Heritage
  • Gender and Sexuality Diversity
  • Hispanic/Latino/a/x Heritage
  • Multiracial Heritage
  • Neurodiversity
    This group is focused on parenting children with learning differences. It is intended to provide education and resources on the topic, as well as a safe space to share the unique joys and challenges of raising neurodivergent children.

• Professional Development

  • Redwood Day maintains membership with POCIS (People of Color in Independent Schools) Northern California Chapter and the National SEED Project (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity). Faculty and staff participate in an active SEED group on campus.
  • Members of our faculty and staff regularly participate in the NAIS POCC (People of Color Conference) and the NAIS Summer Diversity Institute.