Serving Preschool Through 8th Grade in the San Francisco East Bay Since 1962

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement

At The Seven Hills School, we are a community of faculty, staff, students, families, and caregivers that is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). We prepare our students to be lifelong advocates for meaningful social change with the goal of creating a just and equitable society.

We understand the importance of being a community of belonging. We know that multiple perspectives from varying backgrounds contribute to building a stronger community, which benefits our children in becoming better global citizens. Our Strategic Plan ensures a commitment to DEIB as the work of empathy, advocacy, and community is ongoing.

As The Seven Hills School community, we commit to:

Enriching the student experience through cultural responsiveness, which promotes understanding and respect for each person, and their individual experiences.
Promoting an inclusive environment for all in appreciation of our diversity of race, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, and family structure.
Supporting a culture of belonging where students, faculty, and staff feel supported, included, respected, and nurtured.
Expanding accessibility and affordability through outreach, community service, and by alleviating financial barriers for families.

Definitions:

Cultural Responsiveness: the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across varying backgrounds.
Inclusive Environment: a place where people can express their identity, participate, and feel a sense of value, respect, and belonging.
Culture of Belonging: an individual’s essential human need to feel safe, supported, valued, included, and accepted within a group, community or organization.
Accessibility and Affordability: we support families across the socioeconomic and geographic spectrum with our modified tuition model.

- Updated November 2023

Seven Hills is committed to welcoming and supporting many forms of diversity, including socioeconomic, racial, cultural, ethnic, sexual orientation, family structure, and geographic diversity. We believe that multicultural learning environments benefit children in all areas of learning—academic, intellectual, social, and emotional—and prepare our graduates to engage in a changing, global world. We know that diversity does not describe any single individual or group’s identity but rather honors all of the differences within our collective Seven Hills community.

We also believe that understanding and exploring a variety of perspectives and worldviews—families, cultures, traditions, and beliefs of others, as well as a range of perspectives and opinions–enriches learning outcomes. At the classroom level, through professional development, in admission and hiring practices, and through the Parent Involvement Association, Seven Hills seeks to advance our effectiveness as an equitable school community. We are also aware that DEIB work is an ongoing, dynamic, and lifelong journey, and we strive to be lifelong learners just like our students.

Seven Hills' Assistant Head of School for Strategic Priorities, Jase Turner, brings an in-house leadership model to Seven Hills’ DEIB efforts, examines curriculum across disciplines and grade levels, facilitates parent education topics, and assists with professional development.
The Seven Hills Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty/staff, parents/guardians, and students meet and work with international diversity and inclusion strategist Dr. Derrick Gay to dialogue and explore affinity, diversity, and inclusion within our classrooms and community.
Members of our faculty and staff regularly attend the People of Color Conference (PoCC)—the flagship event of NAIS’ commitment to equity in teaching and learning.
Administrators, alumni, faculty, parents, students, and trustees attend the Pollyanna conference to discuss challenges and effective practices around DEIB and generate action plans.
Seven Hills maintains membership with POCIS (People of Color in Independent Schools) Northern California Chapter.
Seven Hills engages its entire community in the NAIS Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism (AIM), a survey that provides the school with a deep understanding of the campus climate, with tangible data to measure progress and set goals.
All faculty and staff attended workshops facilitated by Gender Spectrum, to increase their understanding of how to create a gender-inclusive learning environment for students.
Authors Jason Reynolds and Matt de la Peña have led student workshops and spoken on the power of children's literature to inspire diversity.
Seven Hills hosted a sold-out virtual lecture with acclaimed author, speaker, and activist Julie Lythcott-Haims on the topic of talking to your kids about race and racism.
Professional Development days include professional cultural competency, identity, and anti-racism training.