Parent Involvement

 Community Involvement

The Board of Trustees Diversity Task Force is a group of Board Members assigned to review and recommend policies dealing with Diversity at Dalton. The Task Force works directly with the Head of School and is chaired by a Board of Trustees member.

Bridge and Tunnel, Downtowners and Uptowners parent groups provide neighborhood-networking opportunities for families living further away from school. By organizing social occasions for families to meet in their respective neighborhoods, these groups hope to encourage creative solutions for the logistical, transportation, and other needs of students commuting from greater distances.

Community Building Committee is a parent group committed to helping make the Dalton Community as welcoming as possible to new families and to strengthening ties among all members of the Dalton family by creating inclusive opportunities for the Dalton community to come together. The First Program coffee and bagels, the receptions that follow Dalton events, and the K-12 evening socials are among the activities that foster grade, division, and school wide community building.

The First Program Multicultural Festival group consists of parents, faculty members, students and administrators who plan the annual cultural celebration which takes place at the First program in early march. The festival includes music, entertainment and a community potluck dinner.

The PA Diversity Committee consists primarily of parents but includes staff and faculty from all three divisions. Through its monthly meetings, programs, and activities, the committee is dedicated to enriching the community by creating and promoting a more sensitive and inclusive social environment that welcomes all families. There are chairpersons for each division.

PA Diversity Committee Goals
To encourage the incorporation of diversity issues into the mainstream of the Dalton Curriculum and Dalton life.

To assist the administration in expanding Diversity in the student population, faculty, and administration in all divisions.

To improve communication between and disseminate information about the groups and committees that make up the infrastructure which supports diversity at Dalton.

To foster continuity of diversity programs between all divisions; from the First Program to Middle School and from Middle School to High School.

To expand the dialogue on diversity throughout the Dalton community so that it involves, supports, and celebrates the many facets of the diversity mosaic.

The PA Steering Committee is a group of Diversity Committee members who meet monthly to give structure to the goals of the committee, plan events and develop other activities that bring all three divisions into collaboration.

Parents of Children with Learning Differences (PCLD) is a forum for parents to share information, experiences, challenges, and successes. Although focused on learning disabilities and attention issues, the purpose of this group is to support and educate all parents about how to best help students get the most out of school and to feel successful. There are group discussions and guest speakers about pertinent topics from within the Dalton community and outside. Areas of concern that are covered include evaluations, support within Dalton, tutoring and other outside supports, standardized testing, and issues for college.

Parent S.E.E.D. (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) is a "parent-centered" approach to increasing understanding about diversity and gender equity. The Parent SEED is a monthly experiential seminar process that includes thought-provoking exercises, readings, videos, and candid discussions on topics of diversity and inequity. It is an opportunity to better get to know oneself and others in the Dalton community. It also is an opportunity for growth. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own 'lifetexts' and to examine their personal 'politics of location' in order to better understand and be sensitive to the varied cultural realities of others.

Parents of Children of Color is a group whose purpose is to support children of color through the Dalton experience. This support is provided through parent participation in informal discussions. Guest speakers and a cultural event are often included in the annual calendar of events.

SANGAM which means "joining" in Hindu/urdu is a South Aisian Culture Parent Group whose purpose is to suport Dalton students and families of South-Asian backgrounds. Support is provided through community building events designed to increase awareness of South Asian culture in the community at large. SANGAM is open to anyone interested in promoting these goals.