DEIB In Action

The inaugural Families of Students of Color BBQ welcomed over 120 members of King’s community on Monday, August 28, for an evening of connection and fun. Families enjoyed a BBQ and ice cream between games and dancing. They also had the opportunity to learn about additional ways to connect and support the school’s DEIB efforts at a sponsored table from the PA KInD Committee.

King School hosted a tent at the India Cultural Center's (ICC) HoliFest 2023. More than ten King families attended Holi, a Hindu festival welcoming spring and celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Gorgeous pastels saturated Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich on Saturday, May 6, as crowds turned out to commemorate the Hindu festival by throwing colored powders into the air.

Three King School teachers have earned prestigious Global Expression and Thought (GET) prizes from a leading organization for best practices in global education for K-12 schools.

Teachers Aman Samra and Emily Decker collaborated on the vision and content for their Grade 2 Geometry unit. Ran LaPolla collaborated with alum Mimi White ’20 for the Upper School Themes in Global Art lesson. Both submissions were rooted in authentic experiences, meaningfully connecting the students' lives to the world around them.

Special presentations, discussions, and lessons during Black History Month gave students a deeper insight into the rich history and culture of Black Americans. Celebrating the diverse perspectives and experiences that have shaped our society reinforced King’s values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging on a community and personal level.

Upper school students learned about African-American fraternities and sororities known as the Divine Nine and about Stepping, a percussive dance traditionally performed by members of those social organizations. Director of Marketing Lakeya Graves delivered the King Talk on Tuesday, February 7, in the Performing Arts Center, coinciding with the start of the annual observance of Black History Month. 

The Lunar New Year flooded King School with red and gold and traditional decorations. The holiday, one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, marks the first days of spring in the lunar calendar and serves as an opportunity to celebrate new beginnings. Students sampled traditional foods, presentations, and performances. 

King School’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging permeates every aspect of the school’s community, especially in January. At King, celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. spans the entire month as students across the divisions research his life, examine his impact, and recognize the power of his example. The school’s hallways bare his quotes, lessons explore his vision, and conversations echo his dreams.

The PA King Inclusion and Diversity Committee’s Festival of Lights was an inclusive celebration of the cultures, religions, and faiths within the King School community. The event took place on December 7 in the Middle School.

King School is pleased to announce a title change for Dr. Clyde Beverly III P’33, ’34. From this point forward, Dr. Beverly’s title is Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Sixth grade students faced off in a series of animated debates about climate change and the use of plastic water bottles during their earth science classes. The students were assessed during the exercise, which served as an alternative to traditional testing. “The debate capped off our controversial environmental topics unit,” said associate middle school teacher Katie O’Connor. “We started the unit discussing a variety of environmental issues, including what they are, how our lives are impacted, and what our role may or may not be. We spent a lot of time talking about how people might have different opinions about environmental issues, which led to the debate.”

During a lively simulation, Grade 8 students at King School re-enacted alliances and negotiations that developed between countries at the onset of World War I. The students began the role-playing activity with a think-pair-share exercise that encouraged students to reflect on what they learned about war, connect ideas, and discuss questions that stimulate curiosity and critical thinking on the subject. What is war? Why do countries go to war? Is war justified?

King School is kicking off Black History Month under the unified theme “Expressions of Excellence and Joy of the African Diaspora.” King’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Clyde Beverly III announced the theme to upper school students at a King Talk on January 31. “This year, we’re using a theme to guide us in moving away from talking only about the negative. Yes, those things are real and factual, but there’s a lot more that has happened that wasn’t always taught,” said Beverly. 

The Jewish Student Union is an affinity group in King’s Middle School designated as a safe space for students who identify as Jewish to discuss matters related to pride in their ethno-religious identity. The students met on Friday, January 28, just one day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to discuss its impact on the world at large. The discussion was led by the group's advisors, history teacher Kenneth Lewis and Associate Head of Middle School Ben Magidson, both of whom also identify as Jewish. 

Using the SQ3R study method of surveying, questioning, reading, reciting, and reviewing, sixth grade students explored the geography of regions around the world. This five-step process is designed to encourage understanding of a text by engaging the reader throughout the research process. Under the guidance of history teacher Dana Karin, the students studied Africa, Latin America, Monsoon Asia, and Southwest and Central Asia and then designed a poster to present their research. 

Students, faculty, staff, and administrators from all over the country came together for this year’s People of Color Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference. The conferences, hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), were held online from November 29 to December 3, providing a virtual format of seminars, workshops, and affinity groups for its participants. Dr. Clyde Beverly III, who joined King School in July as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, reported that over 30 members of the King community participated in the conferences. “If we are to truly be an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful community, it is critical that our students, staff, and teachers engage in learning opportunities such as these,” said Beverly.

From climate change to education reform, eighth grade students at King School are exploring the role of rights and resistance for political or social change through activism. English teacher Stephanie Hoos and history teacher Kenneth Lewis paired up to propose the essential question, “What does activism look like?” The two teachers put together a list of over 80 activists under the age of 25 for the students to research. 

Kindness is central at King, so when a few students found a pocket of free time after school, it was recognized as an opportunity, and “Give Back Tuesday'' was born. “We thought of community-based partnerships and a way that would really reach home during the holiday season,” said Ben Magidson, Associate Head of Middle School and Middle School Dean of Student Life. Magidson began working with members of the community to spearhead the initiative.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. To commemorate the occasion, which spans from September 15 to October 15, King School students immersed themselves in learning-by-doing research, delivering presentations, reading books, listening to music, and watching films on Hispanic culture. 

Learning the geography of the world can seem daunting, but Grade 6 found a dynamic approach to the process. In 20th Century Global Perspectives class, students created “life maps” on which they marked the places around the world that have contributed to their personal histories. 

This summer, King student Tucker Pedersen ’22 was selected to join the first-ever Global Citizens Initiative LEAD Challenge. The virtual summit, which took place from July 26-31, brought together secondary school students from all over the world to learn about leadership, ethics, advocacy, and design thinking. Tucker’s participation in the challenge qualified King School, a member of the Global Citizens Initiative, to become one of 30 schools worldwide to be represented at the summit.