Dignity & Belonging

In LSR7 we believe all students deserve a school experience enriched by a deep sense of dignity and belonging.

All LSR7 efforts, structures, resources and people align around a clear, district-wide vision of equitable learning and development and a shared understanding of why and how this drives everyone's work.

Our district's Equity Policy reflects our expectations to provide an equitable education for every student, and our LSR7 Beliefs and Commitments outline how we bring this vision to life.

LSR7 Beliefs and Commitments

We believe the LSR7 community deserves:

• A school experience that individualizes learning opportunities and supports personal growth
• Relationships where inclusivity, belonging, and well-being are valued and prioritized
• Partnerships that foster collaboration through open dialogue and meaningful feedback
• Representation, affirmation, and support of diverse identities and experiences

Therefore, we commit to:

• Systematically gathering and valuing student and staff feedback on and input into their learning experiences
• Providing frequent, formative, growth-oriented feedback that affirms high academic expectations and support for each studen
• Differentiating opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate mastery of learning
• Families, students, and staff working together to improve student learning through the sharing of information and resources
• Facilitating community building, routines, and rituals that reduce stress, address trauma, promote healing, and belonging
• Representing, affirming, and supporting students and staff identities to create authentic belonging and to proactively dispel stereotypes
• Building the individual and collective efficacy of staff while supporting their personal well-being, and providing opportunities for ongoing inquiry and critical reflection
• Systematically using a broad range of disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data to enhance equitable opportunity, experience, and success
• Families, staff, and students building meaningful relationships that foster mutual trust, understanding, and appreciation across cultures, and other differences.

In LSR7, our commitment to equitable education for all students is also embedded in the district's strategic plan.

In a district of nearly 18,000 students and 3,000 staff members, this commitment encompasses all efforts in the district to provide a personalized education that cultivates a student’s individual talents, prevent social or cultural factors from impeding a student’s ability to be successful, and ensure that every student and staff member feels included, valued and celebrated within LSR7.

Specific efforts to build inclusive environments in LSR7 through building and department action plans championing Dignity and Belonging are part of this broad, comprehensive and important work.

As part of our efforts to strengthen and build a culture of dignity and belonging, LSR7 has collaborated with external facilitators Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple and used their anchor text: Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity. LSR7 has also created multiple district Dignity teams ("D-teams") and feedback groups that focus on developing dignity and belonging in our school and work environments.

Our district Dignity work is facilitated through:

• Building and Department-level "D-Teams": Schools and department "D-Teams" create Dignity Plans in collaboration with their school sites to address solutions to specific belonging opportunities or challenges identified in their own communities.
• Student, staff and parent stakeholder teams: Stakeholder groups of students, staff, and community members meet several times a year to engage in Dignity work. Individuals opt in to these events and sign-ups are promoted across the district each fall.
• Dignity training for staff members: Employees participate in district Dignity Sessions facilitated by trained district staff members.