Diversity

At the Atrium School, diversity is seen as a positive aspect of our lives and an essential aspect of education. The children, staff, parents, board members, and friends of the school recognize the fact that diversity exists in the languages we speak, the colors of our skin, the gender and age we are, the traditions we observe, the structures of our families, the financial and educational resources in our families, and the special needs we may have. We believe that our separate heritages, beliefs, and choices of expression help to define us as individuals, and that our commitment to learning about one another and the larger world unites us as a community. Differences of all kinds are acknowledged and explored with enthusiasm and respect.

The Atrium School assumes an ongoing responsibility to act as part of a larger community. In our recruitment practices for both families and faculty, we strive to create a community whose membership reflects the diversity inherent in the greater Boston area, as well as in the world. In our curriculum, such topics as race, ethnicity, family structure, gender, religion, physical attributes, sexual orientation, and economic differences are introduced and studied in ways that are developmentally appropriate. In our assemblies, special events, guest lectures, and extra-curricular activities, we work to further our commitment to diversity.

We view the family as the primary source of traditions, celebrations, and values for children. The role of the school is to affirm that each individual has a distinct identity and to help children appreciate their own identities and those of others. We believe that the experience of an Atrium education will enable children to value themselves while preparing them to participate with pride and confidence in a rich, complex society. We recognize that working to provide such an experience requires dedication and an ongoing commitment of time, energy, and resources.

Founded on the principle of respect, the Atrium is a place where children can listen, question, challenge, probe, and thereby make sense of their world. When children graduate from the school, we hope they will carry with them a strong sense of their identity, a willingness to see the common threads which run through all our lives, and a high regard for the value and breadth of differences.