DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences strives to be a safe community for all students, their families, and employees regardless of race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender (including gender identity and expression), and sexual orientation. We understand that creating a diverse and accepting community also means working to educate ourselves and one another, address bias, and apply critical analysis to our curriculum and materials. Members of our community will learn how and work to use inclusive language, challenge discrimination and stereotypes, and advocate for positive change. Our goal is to create a community of learners of all ages who feel safe to express themselves, explore the world around them, and develop and grow.

 

In Spring of 2017, Fiddlehead School established a Diversity Committee to consider our first steps in carrying out this work. The Committee immediately identified and undertook the following tasks:

• Language on student school forms & records updated with an eye to diversity and sensitivity for both students and parents/guardians

• Visible signs of welcome for ALL students posted around the school

• All families invited to bring family photos to Back to School Night; photos will be displayed in a large wall-collage format in a common area of the school, so everyone can see what diversity comprises our community

• Teacher & staff professional development scheduled in October with a trainer from Welcoming Schools, a branch of the Human Rights Campaign; focus will be on creating an inclusive climate for students of different gender identities and family structures, as well as identifying quality resources for helping to build a community that embraces diversity

• Began drafting, considering, and discussing policies to protect and support vulnerable student populations

• Page built into new website to ensure our diversity work is visible to our school families and the community at large