Community

While Dalton's founder, Helen Parkhurst, formulated her educational philosophy predicated on the individual child, she believed that the school would be an organic whole, a community whose members would be interdependent. The school, in Parkhurst’s view, would provide students with an experience of genuine community, not as an end in and of itself, but as preparation for full participation in the democratic community beyond its doors. The Dalton Plan - and especially House - provides a uniquely supportive foundation upon which to build strong community values.

The meaning of community has grown and developed since the days of Helen Parkhurst. Today, Dalton understands community to be characterized by diversity - a diversity of thought, race, religion, geography, income, sexual identity, and background that enriches the education of all our students and prepares them for the world beyond the school's doors. In addition to affirming the value of diversity and appreciating the differences and commonalities among people, the Dalton community is committed to:

Practicing and promoting respect for self, for others, and for the environment we share;

Practicing and promoting integrity and responsibility;

Insisting upon justice;

Acting with compassion;

Developing the character and confidence required to take risks in civic and intellectual undertakings;

Encouraging leadership;

Making responsible choices in a variety of settings and participating constructively in the community beyond the school; and

Valuing truth, learning, and authenticity.