Diversity & Belonging
Diversity is about more than just numbers. It’s about cultivating a community of belonging where every student is known, respected, and valued.
We believe that everyone in our community benefits from a school environment that affirms the values of kindness, respect, and belonging. In addition, students learn best when they have a strong sense of belonging and are seen and valued for who they are.
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.
Definitions
Diversity
The range of human differences, including but not limited to age, culture, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, political beliefs, religion, faith, ethnical values, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ability.
Equity
The practice of creating a culture that provides resources and opportunities for all members of our GDS community such that the experience of treatment is fair and reasonable while acknowledging historical, institutional, structural, and societal inequalities.
Inclusion
The practice of providing opportunities for all members of the GDS community to experience a sense of belonging that includes a feeling of connection, security, acceptance, and value.
Katelyn Williams
Interim Director of Inclusion & Belonging and Middle School Counselor
Diversity & Belonging News
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.
Guest Speakers Provide Insight into Disability Awareness
On October 7, middle and upper school students held assemblies featuring guest speakers highlighting issues related to Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Students Take the Lead in Celebrating Women’s History
March is Women’s History Month, and members of the Girls 4 Girls and the Empower Play Club have taken the lead by educating our community about women in sports.
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.
