Our Inclusive Community
TPS Diversity Statement
|
Tuxedo Park School is a diverse community of educators and learners. We are an inclusive school that offers a rich multicultural curriculum, explicitly addressing the social identifiers of ability, age, ethnicity, body image, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, race, and religion. Through our curriculum and cultural programs, we are committed to building an educational environment in which every student feels safe. We encourage students to examine human similarities and differences and approach the world with an open mind. We strive to cultivate responsible citizens, who will understand and value their role in the diverse world beyond our school community. |
How We Support Our Inclusive Environment
At Tuxedo Park School, we intentionally learn about and celebrate our diversity. TPS is committed to generating conversations that support individual members while confronting issues that can impede building a more inclusive space. Through the discovery of foundational research and rich discussion, we can implement actionable steps that address our community's needs.
In the summer of 2019, the Board of Trustees and faculty committed to building a stronger and more equitable community for students and adults. Martha Haakmat, founder and director of Haakmat Consulting LLC, worked with the TPS community in the fall of 2019 and led several professional development sessions with faculty, trustee members, and families throughout the academic year.
In the Summer of 2022, TPS began working with DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) consultant Shanelle Henry. Shanelle is currently the Director of DEI at Greens Farms Academy and has 20 years of experience in the field. We look forward to Shanelle bringing her expertise to our students, faculty, staff, families, and trustees.
Tuxedo Park School believes that all constituent members must be educated in racial literacy and informed about bias to create the most inclusive space possible. Students and faculty celebrate their identities and explore their biases at the beginning of each school year. We are committed to studying and celebrating unique and impactful individuals through dedicated activities during advisory periods, schoolwide assemblies, and intentional curricular changes. We want to thank the community members who have dedicated the time and energy to help uplift and support these efforts.
We look forward to continuing to build upon our inclusive environment.
Student Workshop
Throughout Black History Month students dedicated time to learn the stories of others, developing understanding and appreciation for individual journeys. The month culminated with a student workshop led by Jason Craige Harris. Harris prioritizes cultivating listeners and learners here at TPS, as those qualities lead to personal reflection and growth. Older students dove deeper into learning and discussing how the stories that we tell ourselves about others can be harmful, and how we can challenge these stories to better ensure that others are seen, heard, and treated with respect.
Women in STEM Panel
In April of 2022, we welcomed five incredible women (and TPS parents) to our Women in STEM panel at TPS. The panel featured questions about why they chose their careers in STEM, what it’s like being a woman in the STEM field, what challenges and roadblocks they’ve faced, and advice for students, particularly girls, who wish to pursue careers in STEM. The panel concluded with a Q&A where students could learn more about the specifics of their careers. We are grateful to these powerful and hardworking women in our community for being leaders in the field of STEM and for inspiring our students to be future STEMinists!
Teacher Workshop
TPS’ DEI Consultant, Shanelle Henry, facilitated a professional development workshop for faculty and staff in early September of 2022, to build upon past workshops and strengthen understanding, habits, and skills for meaningful Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) discussions.
TPS is committed to devoting resources, time, and space to creating safe spaces for faculty to grow, learn, reflect, and best support our students and community.