Diversity

List of 9 items.

• Diversity Initiative

  As part of Miami Country Day School’s Strategic Plan, our Diversity Initiative aims to increase the diversity and inclusivity amongst our students, faculty, and staff. Furthermore, we are committed to providing accessibility to independent schools, and our financial aid program allows us to come ever closer to reaching that goal. Miami Country Day School’s Strategic Plan includes:
  
  

  • Financial Aid extended to the Lower School
  • The continued expansion of the Trustee Scholarship for Breakthrough Miami Scholars
  • The first school in South Florida to have two trained SEED facilitators.

• Diversity Facts and Figures

  • 47% students with diverse backgrounds
  • 42% faculty/staff with diverse backgrounds
  • Over 10 languages spoken at home other than English
  • 18% of students receive financial aid
  • Over $5.2 million was awarded in need-based financial aid in 2017-18. All financial aid awards are made based on need and availability of funds without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, or disability.

• CHANGE Team

  The Creating Healthy Acceptance and Global Equity (CHANGE) Team at Miami Country Day School is responsible for ensuring the execution and the accountability of the Diversity and Inclusivity Statement across all divisions, faculty, and staff.  

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• Upper School

  Creating Awareness, Understanding & Social Equity (CAUSE) serves as an umbrella, student-led organization to ensure diversity programing is occurring in the Upper School.  CAUSE is the coordinator of all diversity and inclusivity efforts and works with other organizations to promote their projects.  CAUSE meets as a board to ensure that these discussions and events are happening on campus. 

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• Affinity Clubs and Groups

  Club	Sponsor(s)
  Black Student Union (BSU)	Ms. Marisol Sardina
  Gender and Sexuality Alliance	Ms. Jessica Furth Mr. Michael Slotnick
  Jewish Student Club	Ms. Joanne Aronson
  GirlUp	Ms. Marisol Sardina
  Best Buddies	Ms. Beth Long
  Young People of Distinction (YPOD)	Ms. Annette Fulton Ms. Juliette Fulton

  Latin American Student Alliance	Ms. Ingrid DeBlasio
  iBelong	Mr. Michael Fallik  Ms. Barbara Byrne
  No Place for Hate	TBD

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• Middle School

  iBelong

  Michael Fallik and Barbara Byrne, Co-Sponsors

  • The year starts with discussion among the Middle School faculty about how to move forward with iBelong. Mike Fallik and Barbara Byrne lead this discussion
  • Middle School peer counselors meet with Mike Fallik and Barbara Byrne to select topics for discussion

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• Lower School

  Immediate Objectives:

  • Expand faculty diversity relating to gender and race
  • Homeroom teachers include perspective taking in daily work
  • Lower School Guidance Counselor works with teachers to address specific challenges related to diversity and inclusivity
  • YES Institute presentations to 2^nd and 4^th grade students

• English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

  The ESOL Program at Miami Country Day School is designed to meet the needs of incoming culturally and linguistically diverse students.
  
  Once a student is enrolled in our program, they receive a comprehensive assessment of their English proficiency including: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Based on the results, and the stage of language development of each student, he or she will be placed in one of the four levels of instruction offered in our program: Novice (beginner), High Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. ESOL students take all the regular core classes in the mainstream classroom, surrounded by native English speakers. The ESOL teacher works closely with the students providing additional language support for their core classes as well.
  
  Our goal is to help students acquire or/and advance their English language skills, core academic skills, and to acculturate to the U.S. school system. The instructional method employed in the program uses English as a Second Language (ESL) through various approaches to teaching English to non-native speakers. Emphasis is put on three main aspects of the English as a Second Language acquisition process, such as Grammar-Based ESL (instruction about the English language, including its structure, functions, and vocabulary), Communication-Based ESL (instruction in English that stresses using the language competently in meaningful contexts), and Content-Based ESL (instruction in English, primarily focusing on challenging the students to develop and use language skills utilized in their grade-level academic tasks).
  
  Students in the ESOL program also receive accommodations and modifications in their mainstream courses, such as extra time to complete assignments and assessments, adaptive teaching methods, adjustments on assignments, and the use of bilingual dictionaries during instruction time and during assessments.
  
  

  No single approach or program model works best in every situation. Many different approaches can be successful when implemented well. Local conditions, choices, and innovation are critical ingredients of success.

  
  - Genesee (1999)
  
  

• Breakthrough Miami – Miami Country Day School Partnership

  The collaboration between Miami Country Day School and Breathrough Miami combines two communities with the common goal and expectation that their students strive to do as best as they are capable. Miami Country Day School educates the whole child—both in the classroom and beyond through the core values of honor, respect, wisdom, and compassion. Miami Country Day School instills these same beliefs in scholars connected with Breakthrough Miami by providing significant site and in-kind resources on their campus. The Breakthrough Miami scholars who call the Miami Country Day School site their home welcome the nurturing environment available at MCDS and hail from a number of under-resourced areas of Miami, such as Liberty City, Little Havana, Little Haiti, Opa-Locka, Overtown, and Carol City.

  
  Breakthrough Miami and Miami Country Day joined together to assist students from underprivileged schools throughout Miami- Dade County. This collaboration is going on its fifth year of success, and we see nothing but more life-changing results to emerge as we persist to bridge the achievement gap. This partnership offers students the opportunity to increase diversity awareness, to gain experience with careers in education, and to create communally aware, well-rounded students in both communities as they develop their social skills and prosper academically.
  
  Please click here to learn more about the Breakthrough Miami - Miami Country Day School partnership.