The Foundation for a Meaningful Life
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
About

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Fay School Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Fay School, we believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community supports the School’s mission to establish the foundation for a meaningful life. We intentionally integrate multiple perspectives into our curriculum and community. Through ongoing attention to the diverse identities of our community members, we strive to maintain a positive culture in which every person is valued and treated with dignity.
 
Students and adults at Fay work to develop the skills necessary for constructive engagement with our rapidly changing world. We are committed to honest reflection on the differences and commonalities that enrich our lives. In a spirit of service, we challenge one another to demonstrate empathy, humility, and moral courage. Each member of our community is expected to treat others with openness, attentiveness, and compassion.

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion work look like at Fay?

Across the grades, faculty collaborate with the Director of Equity and Inclusion and with each other to provide contextual, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate opportunities to develop empathy, reflect on identity, and consider multiple perspectives. 
In Primary School, students explore the various identities that make up who we are, with projects like learning the background of their own names or reading about the indigenous tribes of Massachusetts. Teachers are trained in racial literacy and learn how to help primary-age children celebrate one another across differences. 
In Lower School, students engage in equity and inclusion work through a focus on intentional book choices and deep discussions across the curriculum. Students participate in meaningful service learning activities with a focus on empathy, purpose, and connection. Through their classes in world languages, history, and reading and writing, students also explore holiday celebrations and storytelling across cultures. Sixth grade students begin to grow as leaders in equity and inclusion work in preparation for a deeper dive in Upper School. The Upper School Students of Color group has also expanded into the Lower School with monthly breakfasts, bringing together students from both divisions.
In Upper School, equity and inclusion work is found in leadership opportunities for students in Community Connections, a student-led, faculty-advised workshop group whose goal is to encourage awareness and respect for people’s differences within the community. Students also have opportunities to participate in affinity spaces for students of color and students identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community; attend local and national DEI conferences, including the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference; and explore intentional curricular units focusing on equity in the larger community.
Fay faculty regularly attend local and national conferences and workshops in conjunction with in-house professional development opportunities each month on subjects such as systems thinking, responding to incidents of bias, and belonging. Faculty also participate in Community Connections and serve as Fay ambassadors in their local communities and internationally.
Read more:
Gaining Perspective, Building Community (Fay Magazine, Fall 2017)
Primary School Update: Cultural Curiosity (Fay Magazine, Fall 2020)
 

Meet Jill Anthony, Director of Equity and Inclusion

B.A., Vanderbilt University
M.A., Savannah College of Art and Design

As Fay’s first Director of Equity and Inclusion, Jill works in all three divisions with students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, and alumni to help guide the school in its ongoing equity and inclusion work by promoting cultural awareness, cultivating a sense of belonging, and creating space for brave conversations.
Jill came to Fay from Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, where she served as Co-Director of Global Programs, taught Latin, and coached volleyball. She also served on Gilman’s Community, Inclusion, and Equity Executive Committee and Gender Equity Committee, where she helped write the school’s Strategic Plan for Community, Equity, and Inclusion, and facilitated professional development for faculty and staff. Jill has also led student workshops and conferences at Gilman, throughout the Baltimore area, and nationally as faculty of the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Prior to Gilman, Jill taught at the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas; Antilles School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; and the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison, New Jersey.

Jill can be reached at janthony@fayschool.org.

Coming Up

March 23, 2023: Community Connections 6:00 - 8:00 pm
March 30, 2023: Students of Color Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
April 1, 2023: AISNE Middle School DEI Conference
April 6, 2023: Q&A Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
April 11, 2023: Lower and Upper School Students of Color Breakfast 7:25 am
April 13, 2023: Community Connections 6:00 - 8:00 pm
April 22, 2023: AISNE High School DEI Conference
April 27, 2023: Students of Color Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
May 4, 2023: Q&A Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
May 11, 2023: Community Connections 6:00 - 8:00 pm
May 16, 2023: Lower and Upper School Students of Color Breakfast 7:25 am
May 18, 2023: Students of Color Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
May 25, 2023: Q&A Meeting 6:00 - 8:00 pm
June 1, 2023: Community Connections 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Suggested Reading

Check out these titles to spark conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. We'll be updating these lists each term.

Primary/Lower School

Lower/Upper School

  9. For Every One, Jason Reynolds

Parents and Teachers

Spotlight: Poetry

48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201