Inclusion & Belonging
Inclusion is about cultivating a community of belonging where every student is known, respected, and valued.
Strength in Differences is one of Greensboro Day School’s Core Values because we believe that diversity produces better outcomes, makes our community stronger, and prepares our students to engage meaningfully with the world. We strive to foster a community that provides diversity of thought, perspective, and identity.
Our Statement of Community: Greensboro Day School is committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of belonging that is safe and welcoming for all. We respect and affirm the dignity and worth of each member of our community.
Katelyn Williams
Interim Director of Inclusion & Belonging and Middle School Counselor
Community Cornerstones
The Community Cornerstones guide our character and citizenship expectations for GDS students, employees, and families. We believe these values are necessary to cultivate an inclusive community of belonging that is safe and welcoming for everyone at GDS.
Respect
Kindness
Integrity
Responsibility
Inclusion & Belonging News
International Festival Celebrates Our Community’s Diverse Cultures
On March 12, Greensboro Day School celebrated the many diverse cultures in our community at the second annual International Festival.
GDS Welcomes Frank McCain Jr. as Black History Month and McLendon Speaker
On February 10, we were proud to welcome Frank McCain Jr., President and CEO of the United Way of Greater Greensboro, to Greensboro Day School. Mr. McCain spoke to middle and upper school students during our Black History Month assembly and returned that evening to Sloan Theater as the final speaker in our 2024–25 McLendon Speaker Series.
GDS Students Explore Native American Heritage
On November 11, Greensboro Day School welcomed Stephen Bell, a Lumbee Tribe member and American Indian Education Coordinator with Guilford County Schools, for a presentation on Native American cultures and traditions.
TEDx GDS Youth Explores Facets of Diversity
On October 21, Greensboro Day School hosted its first-ever TEDx event. TEDx GDS Youth explored the topic of Embracing Diversity from a variety of perspectives.
Community Celebrations
The religious and cultural celebrations listed below are observed by members of the GDS community. When one of these celebrations occurs when school is in session, GDS refrains from administering tests or quizzes; having graded homework and/or significant projects due; taking field trips or other special class events; penalizing participants in extracurricular activities for missing practices or events; or scheduling special programs for students or parents.
Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated on December 25 by millions of people around the world. Christmas is the observance of Jesus’ humble birth to a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. The holiday also celebrates the events surrounding his birth, such as an angel’s appearance to shepherds, telling them to visit the newborn king.
Diwali, or Dipawali, is India’s biggest and most important festival. The word Diwali means “rows of lighted lamps,” and Diwali is known as the Festival of Lights because houses, shops, and public places are decorated with small lamps called diyas. These clay lamps are lit to signify the victory of the light of knowledge over ignorance, of hope over despair, and of good over evil.
Eid al-Fitr (Feast of the Breaking of the Fast) is celebrated by Muslims around the world because it marks the end of the dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
