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 our vision.

In LSR7, our commitment to provide an equitable education for all students is embedded in the district's strategic planning and guided by the following Board of Education priority: Meet each student where they are by utilizing an equity lens in decisions, actions, practices and resource support.

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 in 2022-23: All employees are participating in district Dignity Sessions facilitated by trained district staff members during the 2022-23 school year.