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Dalton News
Dalton Community Explores Belonging and Community at Recent Conference
More than 400 Dalton community members -- parents, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents of alumni -- gathered together on Saturday, October 13 in Dalton's Martin theater for The Dalton Citizen: Community & Belonging conference. Based on eight years of success with the Diversity to Community Conference for NYC independent schools, this was an exciting opportunity for us to reflect on what it means to be members of the Dalton community and to consider the concept of belonging.
Head of School Jim Best kicked off the morning sharing his personal experience of belonging at Dalton: “I haven’t always understood how I belong at Dalton...So I spent a lot of time testing my own sense of belonging at Dalton. Did I truly understand the school? Was I Dalton enough for Dalton? As I begin my 13th year at Dalton -- my first as Head of School -- I understand it more.” Keynote speaker Charles Vogl and author of the book The Art of Community: Seven Principles of Belonging, then set the stage for our morning conversations. He offered insightful strategies and techniques for building a more inclusive community.
Head of School Jim Best kicked off the morning sharing his personal experience of belonging at Dalton: “I haven’t always understood how I belong at Dalton...So I spent a lot of time testing my own sense of belonging at Dalton. Did I truly understand the school? Was I Dalton enough for Dalton? As I begin my 13th year at Dalton -- my first as Head of School -- I understand it more.” Keynote speaker Charles Vogl and author of the book The Art of Community: Seven Principles of Belonging, then set the stage for our morning conversations. He offered insightful strategies and techniques for building a more inclusive community.
In the morning session that followed, spirited discussions took place in various classrooms. Each group -- divided by constituencies -- grappled with the following questions:
What roadblocks have you encountered that prevent a sense of belonging at Dalton? For example, this can be around Dalton events, outreach, academics, extra-curricular activities, friendships, family, socio-economics, race, politics, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Where and how do you feel more intentional work can be done by constituent groups at Dalton in order to make everyone feel like they belong?
In the afternoon's panel session, each constituent group was represented: Claire Bushell ’20, Adam Johnson-Hill ’21, K-12 Diversity Coordinator K-12 Ayesha Long, Kindergarten teacher Debbie Reilly P’02, Claire Riccardi P’25, Jan Abernathy P’16, '20, Felicia Washington P’09, ’10, Daniel Glass P’03, ’05, ’15, Wynter Lastarria ’11, and Terrence Winston ’89. "I had the pleasure of moderating the afternoon House panel discussion," said Ryan Ewers ’02. "What struck me was the panelists' vulnerability, truth-seeking and story-telling; they were willing to explore and share their experiences with the intention of helping Dalton progress toward being a more equitable and inclusive community."
Following the panel, Lisa Waller, Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice, presented. In her remarks, Lisa made explicit the through lines that connect Vogel’s work, the equity efforts underway at Dalton, and our school’s legacy. Highlighting the emphasis on empathy found in our foundational documents, Dr. Waller offered an argument for cultivating allyship at Dalton as a means of fortifying our community.
This was an important day at Dalton and these conversations will continue throughout the year. Already, more than 30 Alumni and Parents of Alumni gathered at an Alumni Council meeting with Dalton alum and Pollyanna Team Member Ryan Ewers ’02, Director of Development Emily Kasof, and Diversity Coordinator K-12 Ayesha Long. Attendees shared thoughts and feedback from the conference and discussed Dalton experiences that will inform our collective action items as we continue to move forward and build community.
At the PA’s Community Life & Diversity Committee follow-up meeting, current parents discussed how Dalton is encouraging inclusion and exploring opportunities to foster a deeper sense of belonging among all community members. Parents then broke into small groups to identify actionable ways to maintain an ongoing sense of belonging and foster open dialogue. Plans are underway to continue the conversation with faculty, staff, and students
"It was an inspiring day," said Casper Caldarola ’77, P ’14, Founder of Pollyanna, which organized the conference. "The participants' energy, focus, and thoughtful observations were very meaningful and impactful, and many attendees expressed enthusiasm about continuing the conversation."
A huge thanks to all the participants, the planning committee, and the 50+ volunteers who made this day a success.
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What roadblocks have you encountered that prevent a sense of belonging at Dalton? For example, this can be around Dalton events, outreach, academics, extra-curricular activities, friendships, family, socio-economics, race, politics, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Where and how do you feel more intentional work can be done by constituent groups at Dalton in order to make everyone feel like they belong?
In the afternoon's panel session, each constituent group was represented: Claire Bushell ’20, Adam Johnson-Hill ’21, K-12 Diversity Coordinator K-12 Ayesha Long, Kindergarten teacher Debbie Reilly P’02, Claire Riccardi P’25, Jan Abernathy P’16, '20, Felicia Washington P’09, ’10, Daniel Glass P’03, ’05, ’15, Wynter Lastarria ’11, and Terrence Winston ’89. "I had the pleasure of moderating the afternoon House panel discussion," said Ryan Ewers ’02. "What struck me was the panelists' vulnerability, truth-seeking and story-telling; they were willing to explore and share their experiences with the intention of helping Dalton progress toward being a more equitable and inclusive community."
Following the panel, Lisa Waller, Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice, presented. In her remarks, Lisa made explicit the through lines that connect Vogel’s work, the equity efforts underway at Dalton, and our school’s legacy. Highlighting the emphasis on empathy found in our foundational documents, Dr. Waller offered an argument for cultivating allyship at Dalton as a means of fortifying our community.
This was an important day at Dalton and these conversations will continue throughout the year. Already, more than 30 Alumni and Parents of Alumni gathered at an Alumni Council meeting with Dalton alum and Pollyanna Team Member Ryan Ewers ’02, Director of Development Emily Kasof, and Diversity Coordinator K-12 Ayesha Long. Attendees shared thoughts and feedback from the conference and discussed Dalton experiences that will inform our collective action items as we continue to move forward and build community.
At the PA’s Community Life & Diversity Committee follow-up meeting, current parents discussed how Dalton is encouraging inclusion and exploring opportunities to foster a deeper sense of belonging among all community members. Parents then broke into small groups to identify actionable ways to maintain an ongoing sense of belonging and foster open dialogue. Plans are underway to continue the conversation with faculty, staff, and students
"It was an inspiring day," said Casper Caldarola ’77, P ’14, Founder of Pollyanna, which organized the conference. "The participants' energy, focus, and thoughtful observations were very meaningful and impactful, and many attendees expressed enthusiasm about continuing the conversation."
A huge thanks to all the participants, the planning committee, and the 50+ volunteers who made this day a success.
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