Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Diversity is at the heart of human experience. At Mark Day School, we believe that joy, enrichment, and compassion spring from honoring the diversity of the human community. Learning about the families, cultures, traditions, and beliefs of others, as well as learning to respect a range of perspectives and opinions, is not only enriching, it is essential for academic excellence and responsible world citizenship.

When choosing Mark Day School, families and employees become part of a socially responsible community striving to become conscious of, and teach about, all aspects of diversity and inclusiveness. The following principles are in keeping with the school’s Seven Pillars of Character and reflect its identity and mission:

1. Everyone deserves respect, appreciation, and equal opportunity regardless of differences in ability, age, ethnicity, nationality, home language, family make-up, gender, physical attributes, race, religion, thoughts and beliefs, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
2. The composition of our school community should reflect the diversity and multicultural composition of the global and local communities in which we live.
3. We condemn and reject prejudice and acts of intolerance while actively seeking to educate and raise awareness about how to reconcile and heal such acts.
4. We accept and advance the obligations that arise from education and citizenship in a democratic society, including the responsibility to serve one’s global and local communities and to contribute to the betterment of the human condition.

Our goal is to be a leader in the pursuit of inclusiveness, empathy, and equity. To that end, we partner with other schools and institutions, near and far, that similarly believe that a diverse, inclusive, and socially responsible community is intrinsic to academic excellence, social justice, and global citizenship.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on March 23, 2010. These principles replaced School Policy 1104 on Diversity.