Search Results: racial equity
Three weeks after the death of George Floyd and two days after the school’s outdoor COVID-19- adjusted graduation ceremonies, Eastern Mennonite School launched a new Racial Equity Working Group, which builds on past work of a Diversity Committee, as well as ongoing restorative justice initiatives. “The time is long overdue…
Equity Work The EMS Equity Group is made up of faculty representatives from each division, the high school counselor, K-8 and high school principals, the admissions counselor, and director of advancement. The group is a place to give focused attention to the school’s efforts to continually grow in its vision…
In order to tell the story of our school’s history, we must first acknowledge the people who were here before us. The indigenous tribes occupying the Shenandoah Valley in the long period prior to the arrival of English settlements include the Iroquois (also called the Six Nations) and Shawnee nations as…
A look at the content that engaged Eastern Mennonite School audiences throughout 2020 captures a year that some would rather forget. It was also a year that taught us how much we care for each other, how creative and committed we are, how strong we are, and how much we…
“This is my story,” is the theme for chapel this year for students grades 6 to 12 at Eastern Mennonite School. Speakers are invited to share stories of times in their life when they felt they belonged, or did not belong. The theme developed over the summer as the school’s…
More than 300 Eastern Mennonite School alumni and friends signed “A Call for Institutional Equity and Inclusion” posted on the Internet on July 22, 2020. An email to school administrators and other staff introducing the public post was signed by “EMS Alumni for Radical Change,” and said they “want to…
Strategic Plan Summary 2019-2022 TODAY magazine issue on EMS Strategic Plan Note: EMS will undergo an accreditation visit and review in the 2022-23 school year through the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The school expects a new strategic plan to come out of that process; it will be shared in…
The Multicultural Scholarship is the new name for the former Students of Color Scholarship. The endowed fund provides financial assistance to qualifying students to diversify and enrich the school. “We want our student body to better reflect the cultures and traditions of our city and the surrounding area, “says Paul…
“You are a piece of the puzzle for a better future.” This is the message that 10 Eastern Mennonite School ninth and tenth grade students absorbed from Black community leaders and Civil Rights veterans during an E-term trip to Alabama and Mississippi, March 30-April 4. Talking with people who marched…
Focusing on relationships is key to de-escalating tensions in contentious times. This was the takeaway that faculty and staff heard during a seminar — held virtually via Zoom — on building community in times of polarization on August 20, before students returned to school. David Brubaker, organizational consultant and dean…
Vision: Eastern Mennonite School aspires to embody the love of Jesus as a learning community where every student belongs, thrives, and joins God’s work in the world. Mission: Eastern Mennonite School, with home and church, invites students to faith in Jesus Christ, academic excellence, personal integrity, and compassionate service. Core…