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Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging

Mount Tamalpais School values its diversity and works actively for inclusion. Our aim is to ensure that all members of our community feel a strong sense of belonging. We respect and appreciate the family structure, physical ability, gender, race, ethnicity, professional background, geography, sexuality, religious and socio-economic background of everyone in our community. At MTS, we work to raise culturally conscious students by applying a lens of equity and inclusion to our curriculum, emphasizing the need for justice in our local and global community.

Our faculty and staff regularly engage in ongoing professional development to foster our dialogue and commitment to inclusion, equity, and belonging. Over the last several years, we have engaged in community learning sessions with Blink Consulting: Critically Rethinking Diversity, The Center for Cultural Responsive Teaching and Learning, Courageous Conversations, and Gender Spectrum. An annual cohort of faculty and leadership team members also attends the NAIS People of Color in Conference. In addition, the Board of Trustees DEIB Committee provides oversight as we continue to cultivate belonging and develop ever more equitable and inclusive curriculum.

Working with MTS on DEI initiatives has at times been challenging, but it has also been empowering, healing, and very positive. MTS is not afraid to examine itself, try something new, and put every effort into encouraging staff, students, and families to show up every day as their most authentic selves, no matter their skin color, family background, faith, nationality, or the many other ways that make a community beautifully diverse.

– Ann Le, MTS Board Member

Fostering Inclusion Through Education, Story, and Sport

Dana Ross Rogers '91 returned to the MTS campus on September 26th, 2023 with her colleagues from the Bionic Project. Dana is the Executive Director of the Bionic Project, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about physical disability through education, story, and sport. Read more about the project in this Magazine article. 

The Bionic Project at Mount Tamalpais School

Celebrating Women in the Community

In March 2024, the school celebrated Women's History Month with presentations from an impressive array of women experts from our community. We were honored by the extraordinary women who gave their time to the day. Read more about the celebration in this blog post. 

Black History Gathering

On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, we celebrated Black History with an all-school gather led by our kindergarteners that included charades, dance, and more. Read about it on our blog post here. 

Celebrating Ruby Bridges with All School Walk

In November during our community Connect, we celebrated Ruby Bridges with a walk and group discussions. Read more about the Connect on our blog post here. 

Monthly "Connects"

The entire MTS community gets together for monthly "Connects." These are opportunities to take a moment and discuss DEIJ topics together. Read more about it here. 

Mental Health Awareness Day

We celebrated our first annual Mental Health Awareness Day in the spring of 2022 spearheaded by the MTS counselor Melodie Del Rio. Read more about the day on our blog post here. 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Read about the activities and celebrations the MTS community put together to celebrate AAPIHM in May 2022 here. 

Portrait of Tanya Lemmon, Director of Inclusion

Tanya Lemmon

Director of Inclusion
tlemmon@mttam.org

Diversity Vision Statement

Mount Tamalpais School is dedicated to nourishing and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community in which each person can be their truest self, knowing all perspectives, identities, and voices are welcomed and valued. It is our responsibility to create a school community where all members can thrive and where students are encouraged to be engaged and growth-minded citizens.

Monthly School Gathers

Hanukkah Celebrations

In December, we celebrated Hanukkah with an All School Gather and the 5th Grade read "The Story of Hanukkah" and explained the rules of the game dreidel. During morning recess, students enjoyed latkes and applesauce provided by parent volunteers. 

Holocaust Survivor Story

Paul Schwarzbart, husband, father, respected teacher, and Holocaust survivor, visited our middle school students to tell his incredible story in April. Schwarzbart taught at Tam High for many years, and he has written two memoirs sharing his experiences. We felt honored to have the opportunity to hear him speak. Read more about his visit in a blog post here. 

Black History Month

In February, the Lower School gathers in the gym to celebrate Black History month. Fifth grade students led the assembly presenting about many important Black heroes of the past, present, and future. Kindergarten students in different grades spoke about inspirational black athletes Steph Curry and Misty Copeland, and others shared about the love they have for their Black and multi-racial families. Kindergarten parents joined us to speak about Sidney Poitier and the power of his life and legacy.

Veteran's Day Gather

In November in honor of Veteran's Day, we were lucky to have MTS parent, and trustee Dan Higgins come to school to speak with our 5th-8th graders about his experience in the US Army during the Vietnam War. You can read more about his experience on our Community Voices blog page here. 

Celebrating Women 

In March, the Lower School students gathered together in the gym to connect in support of women and each other. The community wore purple to celebrate International Women’s Day. During the Gather, students shared about women who inspire them. We danced, we listened to each other, we shared about learning that is happening in the classroom, and we reminded ourselves about the words and actions we can share with each other to uplift, encourage, and support. More than a few grown-ups in the room had teary eyes listening to our wonderful Lower School students..

 

Pride Gather 

In support of Pride Month in June, the Lower School gathered to celebrate. The group talked about rainbows and what they symbolize, and then teachers read Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart. This sweet simple story talks about the colors of the rainbow and what the colors represent in the rainbow flag.

 

In Honor Of

Dyslexia Awareness

Students wore red in support of Dyslexia Awareness Month. 

Lunar New Year

MTS Lower School Students Perform in Lunar New Year Gather

MTS Mandarin teacher Vivian Dai leads annual Lunar New Year celebrations. Activities include a parade, martial arts, Chinese character writing, making potstickers, and chopsticks-skills competitions. Read more about the day here. 

Pride Month

Each grade wore a different color of the rainbow to honor the LGTBQ+ community during Pride Month in June.

DEI Reading Resources

Timeline

Partnerships & Affiliations