DEI Communications from SMH

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

We need our institutions today more than ever.  We need our institutions to inspire commitment to living out our values and aspirations, and we need them to illuminate our fast-paced and ever-changing world.  At Saint Mary’s Hall we are continually engaged as an institution in ensuring that we are defining excellence in ways that prepare our students for the world today.  Toward that effort, I am heartened to be in partnership with our Board of Trustees as we continue to foster a community where each is loved and respected.  I am pleased to share with you a letter from our Board of Trustees that expresses their commitment and partnership in this work. 

Last year, even amidst the pandemic, we listened with open minds and open hearts to the many voices that make up our community.  The work of listening will continue to be important for all of us, and I am inspired that we can now do this work even more fruitfully in person on campus this year.  Listening is critical for validating and showing care for every member of our community, a goal that I know every one of us aspires to reach. 

An upcoming opportunity to hear more and participate in these efforts is a talk on our campus by Dr. Eugene Batiste on Saturday, October 9 from 10 am – 1 pm (The presentation will be in-person, but also available via Zoom—details to follow in News From the Hall).  This session is the first of our continued dedication to engage in conversations regarding how we can be an even stronger community.  A lifelong educator and native of San Antonio, he spent the last several years at St. John's School in Houston as their Chief Diversity Officer and now serves as Assistant Head of School for Engagement at Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey. Dr. Batiste is working closely with our Board of Trustees and will be involved in ongoing conversations.

To learn more about our progress, please see our web page at www.smhall.org/belonging.

Our mission at Saint Mary’s Hall—to prepare students for success in college and fulfilment in life—is a noble one.  To do this well means bringing together people of shared values, but inevitably with different backgrounds, religions, cultures, and ideas.  As we come together as classmates, parents, faculty, alumni, and friends, we will learn and grow together.  Let us keep our open minds and open hearts to lift each other up and show grace. We hold in common the noblest value of all, which is a love for our children. 

Sincerely,

Len Miller
Head of School 

To the members of our Saint Mary’s Hall family,

The highest endeavor of our Board of Trustees is to ensure that Saint Mary’s Hall’s mission – to prepare students for success in college and fulfillment in life – is realized.

The world our students inhabit is an interconnected one. Deep understanding and appreciation for diverse thoughts, perspectives and experiences is essential preparation for success at Saint Mary’s Hall and beyond. True intellectual, emotional and social growth comes from engaging with curiosity, openness and humility to a broader worldview than one’s own. Thinking critically, testing assumptions, forging connections, gaining greater understanding in a community of mutual respect and care – these are the competencies the world will require of our students. It is incumbent upon us to equip our students with the skills, resources and opportunities to develop these fundamental attributes.

We support this development by fostering a culture where our students can truly know themselves, and, in turn, be known by others. When members of our community feel a deep sense of belonging, they are able to explore, develop and share their truest selves and engage, learn from and support their peers engaged in that same pursuit. Together, then, they are able to unlock their individual and collective potential in an atmosphere of respect, trust and shared purpose.

The Board of Trustees affirms that a diverse and inclusive community, anchored by a culture of belonging, is essential to fulfilling our mission of preparing students for success in college and fulfillment in life. We also recognize that fostering the culture of belonging that we desire is the responsibility of all members of our community - administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and friends – and we will benefit from open and inclusive opportunities to listen, learn and support each other as we collectively grow this culture. The Board of Trustees is grateful for the meaningful work of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force over the course of the last year, and we look forward to building on their efforts through greater engagement and partnership with our many constituencies that our broader return to campus this year will provide. With trust and confidence in our leadership team and our dynamic community, we look forward with optimism to building an even stronger Saint Mary’s Hall.

Very truly yours,

Ricardo Reyna, Board Chair
on behalf of the Board of Trustees

Dear Saint Mary's Hall Community,

In 2021, Saint Mary's Hall is looking to the future and making changes. Whether it is implementing surveillance COVID-19 testing to enhance measures to protect our community, centralizing wellness as a key variable in teaching and learning, or supporting the efforts of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, Saint Mary's Hall is embracing change for the future.

We are thoughtfully evaluating our practices through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to help gain perspective on how we might strengthen the Saint Mary's Hall experience. We are expanding our conversations about difference, will continue to iterate plans, and set measurable goals.

Head of School Len Miller and I spent countless hours over the summer talking with graduates from a range of backgrounds about their experiences at Saint Mary's Hall.  Consistently, they emphasized how well-prepared they were for the academic demands of college.  But they also expressed how less prepared they were for the diversity of their collegiate environments and the social and emotional demands of life after Saint Mary's Hall.  Their feedback underscored the need for to help students learn the skills of living in a diverse world.  

The SMH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force was formed and has made considerable progress this school year. The group began with a workshop led by Diversity Directions consultants Christine Savini and Dr. Keith Hinderlie, during which task force members learned about the research-based reasons for creating inclusive school cultures.  Participants concluded the workshop by engaging in a rich cultural exchange exercise.  This exercise promoted the use of a common language for the work of equity and inclusion, as well as built community within the Task Force.

The Task Force's second meeting included opportunities for discussion and reflection on the social media posts from the summer and feedback from a cross section of graduates. In our next two meetings, we formed four working groups:

• Group One is focused on increasing student access and belonging, examining student recruitment, admission, and financial aid practices, while also assessing how current practices allow all students to fully access all opportunities in the Saint Mary's Hall experience.
• Group Two is exploring an inclusive academic curriculum and related pedagogy through examination of curricular content and practices.
• Group Three is working on cultivating community in campus life through a deep exploration of the student experience.
• Group Four is developing strategy to hire and retain a diverse faculty and staff to better serve the needs of the entire SMH community.

In addition to the work of the DEI Task Force, members of the faculty and administration are continuing to engage in DEI professional development opportunities.  Six upper school students attended the Student Diversity Leadership Seminar sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. Upper School students have had DEI training as participants in the Student Equity Collective.  And School leaders participated in the Diversity Directions hiring workshop, Unconscious Bias and How It Affects the Hiring Process.  Also, the Board of Trustees took part in a workshop, Why Create An Inclusive School Culture, presented by Diversity Directions.

The DEI Task Force will meet five times in the spring of 2021 and will submit recommendations for the board and senior administration at Saint Mary's Hall to consider. There will also be DEI Listening Sessions, facilitated by Diversity Directions Psychologist Dr. Keith Hinderlie that will include discussions with alumni, faculty, staff, Upper School students, and parents.

During the academic year 2021-2022, the school will more closely examine the curriculum and climate of the institution through a curriculum. As Christine Savini reminds us, "this work is not only important for students and employees of color, but for everyone. By examining our school and implementing best practices, we strengthen the culture and experience of all students and employees."

Cary Clack, a San Antonio Express-News Editorial Writer/Columnist, joined the Saint Mary's Hall community during chapel honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   In his remarks, Mr. Clack reminded us of Dr. King's message that "non-violence is love in action." He empowered our children by simply stating, "You're never too young or too small to do good, to make changes." 

A student who was asked to reflect on student experience and the importance of celebrating diversity and discussing race beyond MLK, Jr. Day. While only one voice of many, this student’s reflections are of note, and speaks to the desire for students of all backgrounds to feel appreciated and included:

 "I think it's incredibly important to celebrate diversity and have conversations about race beyond MLK Jr. Day because learning about the experiences of others, who may not look and/or live like you, is essential to learning, understanding, and cooperation. We are not only better able to understand the world around us better, but we also can create a more inclusive community where people are allowed to be themselves and be appreciated. We still have work to do to foster an inclusive community, not only at SMH, and I believe that starts with conversations about race, privilege, and appreciating what makes us different. Anti-racism is a continuous, daily effort that we must all dedicate ourselves to if we want to fully embrace the ideas celebrated on MLK Jr. Day." – Saint Mary's Hall Form 12 Student

In reflecting on the comments of our students, it is imperative that we continue to work toward infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion into Saint Mary's Hall.  We must frequently talk openly to help overcome our fears of difference so that all our children can feel valued as they embark to achieve their goals. It is through taking the time to have courageous conversations to understand our differences and similarities that will allow us to promote a deeper sense of belonging for all members of our Saint Mary's Hall community.

With gratitude and respect,

Sandra L. Lopez-Morales, Ph.D.
Director of Wellness
Chair, SMH DEI Task Force

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

We are pleased to announce that Saint Mary’s Hall is making significant progress toward an enhanced student experience in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many of you continue to ask about updates, which we will provide intermittently regarding goals, progress, and achievements.

As mentioned previously, Saint Mary’s Hall is partnering with Diversity Directions, a consultancy group led by Founder and Principal Consultant Christine Savini. Ms. Savini holds a Master of Arts in American Racial and Ethnic Studies, and for 17 years served as director of diversity planning at Milton Academy (Massachusettes). While at Milton, Ms. Savini wrote and received a $400,000 Wallace Foundation Grant to develop diversity and multicultural programming and chaired a strategic planning process for the recruitment and retention of faculty of color. She taught social studies at The Uppingham School in England as part of the Fulbright-Hayes Teacher Exchange Program. Ms. Savini is also the founder and director of The Diversity Directions Independent School Seminar, hosted annually by The Brooks School. 

Ms. Savini is consulting with Saint Mary’s Hall alongside Dr. Keith Hinderlie. Dr. Hinderlie holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and was most recently the director of equity and inclusion at Choate Rosemary Hall School in Connecticut. Dr. Hinderlie has also served as director of student and family services at the Barrie School (Maryland), director of programs for the SEED Foundation (Washington D.C.), director of student services at Graland Country Day School (Colorado), and assistant dean for community relations and school counselor at Milton Academy. Dr. Hinderlie has worked as a psychologist in higher education and family centers and specializes in issues of African-American male students, children of trans-racial adoption, and bi/multi-racial children.

Both Ms. Savini and Dr. Hinderlie will intermittently serve as facilitators of the Saint Mary’s Hall Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. We mindfully curated membership that includes current students, alumni, parents, faculty from all three divisions, and members of the Saint Mary’s Hall Board of Trustees. The task force began working together on September 12. Ms. Savini and Dr. Hinderlie engaged the task force participants in a workshop that included both didactic and interactive exercises. These exercises were specifically designed to equip members with a baseline understanding of inclusion and to build connectivity among the group. We are thrilled to begin the next phase of this important work and the task force will continue to meet regularly throughout the academic year.

Multiple members of the faculty and administration have engaged in professional development spanning topics such as critical consciousness, racial literacy, anti-racism, as well as equity in education. We have attended and plan to continue attending seminars and courses developed by Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Independent School Association of the Southwest, the Child Mind Institute, and Independent School Management, to name a few.

Finally, under the supportive facilitation of Upper School English Teachers Dr. Breanne Hicks and Megan Soukup, the Student Equity Collective has been established within the Saint Mary’s Hall Upper School. This student-led organization seeks to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school community, connecting our school mission to the context of our lives. Form 10 students Luz Elena Chapa and Jasmine Adolphe, sought to create a group from within the gates of Saint Mary’s Hall to support and promote positive progress for and with Upper School students.

We are incredibly appreciative of the hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm from parents, faculty, administration, the Board of Trustees, and most importantly from students as we endeavor to fully meet the mission and values of this great institution.

In closing, let us reflect on the ethereal words of the late civil rights leader John Lewis:

“If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.”

Saint Mary’s Hall will continue to honor John Lewis in our efforts to “do something about it.”

With gratitude and respect,

Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales
Director of Wellness 

Len Miller
Head of School 

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

Over the past few weeks, we have had the great privilege of meeting and talking with so many of you. These conversations varied from sharing your experiences at Saint Mary’s Hall to volunteering to participate in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. We thank you for your engagement and desire to improve the SMH experience. Today, we are pleased to share the Task Force’s mission, its membership, and our partnership with an independent, outside consulting firm. The Task Force will convene for our inaugural meeting later this month where we will commit to our mission and begin the important work that lies ahead.

The Task Force’s mission is straightforward: improve upon the SMH experience by cultivating a community where everyone feels respected and a deep sense of belonging.

More specifically, we will review the past, examine the present, and shape the future so that all students are prepared academically, socially, and emotionally for college and fulfillment in life beyond SMH. We are energized and encouraged about the constellation of the Task Force and look forward to our work together. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force members are:

• Asika Anne ’17
• Aimee Arrambide ’96
• Joshua Baker *
• Elise Boyan*
• Tommy Calvert ’98
• Luz Elena Chapa*
• Paige Cheatham ’14
• Courtney Deadman ’13
• Dr. Yashika Dooley
• Brian Fleming
• Jim Greenwood*
• Rodney Hunter ’21
• Dr. Manica Isiguzo*
• Beth Knowlton*
• Dr. Claudia Kypuros*
• Maggie Leavitt ’21
• Itza Martinez ’21
• Deborah McInerney
• Dr. Soad Michelsen*
• Joseph Muller
• Jaime Ramirez
• Kellen Stanley
• Brittany Wallace
• Clint Worth*
• Olivia Zachry ’21

*Parents of current SMH students or alumni. 

With the mission driving our work, the Task Force will explore all areas of the SMH experience. This includes areas of policy, incident reporting, programming, curriculum, and culture. The Task Force will recommend improvements in each of these areas to the SMH Board of Trustees and School Administration. The Task Force will not be reviewing personnel issues but defer those responsibilities to colleagues in Administration and Human Resources. In this work, the Task Force will be aided by consultants from Diversity Directions. This organization is comprised of a diverse team of educational leaders with vast professional experience working within schools affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools. They consult exclusively to independent day and boarding school communities across the country. They facilitate composition of diverse communities, enhance teaching and classroom practices, and create inclusive school cultures.

Beyond the joint work between the Task Force and the consultants, Diversity Directions will also support work within the broader school community including a climate assessment (beginning Fall 2020) which will involve engaging in dialogue with all constituents in the Saint Mary’s Hall community. There may be individuals or groups that feel more comfortable talking with an outside organization about thoughts and concerns regarding DEI and Saint Mary’s Hall, and we believe it is critical to offer an independent, third party to allow individuals an opportunity to engage in ways that might feel more comfortable. We want every member of every constituency to have a voice in this process.

Please join us in expressing gratitude for the time and dedication of the individuals listed above as they seek to help Saint Mary’s Hall live up to our core values. At some point, the Task Force’s work will come to an end. However, there will be additional opportunities to support DEI work at Saint Mary’s Hall. We ask that everyone who is interested come forward to support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on campus and beyond. Please remember that you can always email equity@smhall.org to discuss further. Thank you and we look forward to updating you on our progress.

With respect and gratitude,

Len Miller
Head of School 

Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales
Director of Wellness 

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

I am honored to chair the task force on equity that Head of School Len Miller described in his email to the community on July 5. Before coming to Saint Mary's Hall last academic year, I spent the previous 10 years as a practicing psychologist in hospitals and schools in Massachusetts. Like so many of you, I am the product of an independent school education as a graduate from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. I am originally from the San Antonio area and I earned my BA, MA, and PhD all from The University of Texas at Austin.

I was among the first class admitted to The University of Texas following the historic Hopwood decision that eliminated race as a factor in admission. I also trained at Harvard Medical School for two years and I am very familiar with predominately-white institutions (PWI) as both a student and a faculty member. Some of my cultural identifiers include: Mexican American, cisgender, female, straight, upper middle class, and Christian. I am aware of my privileges as well as my disadvantages and how those play out differently in Texas than they do in other parts of the country and world.

I share these parts of my background with you because, while our experiences are not identical, I identify with many of the stories shared on Instagram. While I cannot fully understand the feeling each author felt in those moments, I can listen. One of my immediate goals is to create a private space of non-judgment and validation, where you can feel supported by someone who is open and engaged.

Our school can and will do better. Our plan for change begins with listening. I have been personally listening to many of your stories, and will continue listening to those who reach out to me. We can accomplish more together when we are able to directly communicate about your experiences. These conversations will help inform the work we do to ensure that our current and future students experience an SMH that lives up to its mission and core values. Please contact me at equity@smhall.org to start our conversation. I will reply and set up a time for us to talk.

I can tell from your stories, and the follow-up comments, urgency is important. It is to me as well. Real change takes time. Racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice are deeply rooted in American culture. It will take consistent, sustained, and collective action to make lasting changes at Saint Mary's Hall, and Mr. Miller and I are committed to this hard work. We recognize that listening is only an initial step. Informed by the listening and learning the task force will undertake, we will explore specific, intentional education, policy revisions, training, and programmatic initiatives to address the diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellness issues that are being brought to light.

The task force membership is nearly complete and draws leaders from many different constituencies of the Saint Mary’s Hall community. We are fortunate to have such a deep and meaningful reservoir of talent. I plan to send out another message to the community within the week that identifies task force participants and delineates our mission and goals.

While there remains much work to be done, many initiatives are already in progress. In the last year and a half, SMH Health Educator Amelia Teodosio has conducted health and wellness classes for Forms 6-9. Next academic year, she will also begin a health and wellness class for Form 11. Many other faculty and staff have supported wellness initiatives over the years that have set the stage for future changes.

To continue these efforts, we plan to conduct the High Achieving Schools Survey created by Dr. Suniya Luthar of Authentic Connections. Dr. Luthar is a researcher and psychologist who has dedicated the last thirty years of her career to understanding risk and resilience. She has focused on students in high achieving schools and on the conglomeration of familial, educational, and social factors that place students in these communities at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. By clicking on this link, you can see Dr. Luthar as the keynote speaker at the World Leading Schools Association 2019 Global Educators Conference. Conducting the High Achieving Schools Survey will help us create a roadmap for wellness in the coming months and years. Dr. Luthar will also speak with SMH students, faculty, administration, and parents about our survey results and ways to improve.

To the authors of the stories shared on @blackatsmh, @womenatsm, and @lgbtqatsmh: your willingness to be heard has provided an opportunity for the entire community to focus on ways to learn. Thank you for your belief in Saint Mary’s Hall. We are in this together.

We all have a part to play in ensuring Saint Mary's Hall is a place where all students feel accepted based on equity, belonging, dignity, and respect. Thank you again for your partnership in addressing the past and collaborating for the future of a better Saint Mary’s Hall.

With respect and admiration,

Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales 
Director of Wellness  

Dear Saint Mary's Hall Community,

To follow up on my communication from Wednesday, I want to speak directly to the race, gender, and sexuality concerns that are being raised in our community and affirm my commitment to Saint Mary’s Hall addressing these issues head-on. 

The content of the messages we have received directly and have seen on social media reveal that Saint Mary’s Hall has fallen short of its professed core values – respect, tolerance, integrity – in ways that have been hurtful to individuals and to our shared sense of community. For each of these instances, we offer an unequivocal apology and commit here to doing better.

Guided by these same core values, and those of courage and responsibility, we as a community will undertake a comprehensive approach to understand the wrongs of the past, to take an honest self-study of our present condition, and implement targeted actions going forward to foster and further a supportive environment where every student can flourish and realize their full potential.

Toward this end, a task force has been convened.  Chaired by our Director of Wellness Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales, and including faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, students, parents, and alumni, the task force will be charged with actively listening to those shining light on the individual and institutional examples of injustice; seeking out internal and external resources targeted to address those deficiencies and areas of growth; and supporting school-wide initiatives, education, and training that affirm our commitment to creating an environment where equity, belonging, dignity, and respect are its hallmarks.  We are currently selecting members for the task force as its work will begin immediately.  Our progress will be regularly reported to the community.

Your partnership in this process is essential.  Feedback from each constituency helps our task force and our school understand the breadth and depth of issues we face and ensure that the steps we take will have the intended effect.  We will rely on your input as we listen and learn.

We know that Saint Mary’s Hall is not alone among its peers in being called to account for the failings of the past, but we intend to distinguish ourselves with the intentionality with which we will meet this moment.  I look forward to partnering with each of you in this undertaking toward a stronger Saint Mary’s Hall.  

Sincerely,

Len Miller 
Head of School 

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

Our city, state, and nation have faced extraordinary challenges in the last months as a result of COVID-19.  The virus has caused fear and concern for physical health and economic stability for all people, but especially and disproportionately for people of color.  Against this backdrop, the recent death of George Floyd in Minnesota and multiple acts of violence against African Americans in the United States have sparked outrage across the country.  Mr. Floyd’s death is a painful reminder of the complexities of inequality, unconscious bias, and racism throughout United States’ history and today.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms offers words that capture this outrage and agony that so many Americans are feeling when she recently said, “We are better than this; we as a country are better than the barbaric actions that we are forced to keep watching play out on our screens like a grotesque horror movie stuck on repeat. We are better than the hatred and anger that consumes so many of us. We are better than this deplorable disease called racism that remains so rampant.”

Courage. Integrity. Respect. Responsibility. Spirituality. Tolerance. Tradition. These are the core values of Saint Mary’s Hall. During periods of tumult and uncertainty, we must remind ourselves of our humanity and beliefs. Let us consider these core values within the current context of our nation and the world with a specific focus on racial injustice and use them as a roadmap for our families.

• Have the courage to seek justice for all humankind.
• Demonstrate integrity through your actions, words, and behaviors.
• Respect all living things.
• Uphold your responsibility to educate yourself and remain aware of issues of privilege, diversity, allyship, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Embrace your spirituality and understanding that we are all God’s people.
• Move beyond tolerance and toward acceptance of those who may appear different than you.
• Be empowered by our tradition and use your privilege to help all who may need it.

At Saint Mary’s Hall, we pledge our commitment to work intentionally to seize this moment to better our school and our world. We consider it vital to partner with our families in having the important, and sometimes difficult, conversations about events in the world around us. Please consider the following resources and suggestions as you educate yourselves, your families, and your communities about race in the United States and the necessity for social justice. There are a multitude of excellent resources available, but these are a few places where a wide range of resources across mediums, audiences, and age ranges are aggregated.  

• Commons Sense Media Resources about Race and Racism (including resources in Spanish)
• Embrace Race 
• The National Museum of African American History & Culture provides these resources on Talking About Race.
• The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education published this article to help parents talk to children after racial incidents, and the Child Mind Institute offers these tips.
• The Conscious Kid
• For children: 31 children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
• For children and young adults: Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults
• For adults:
  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehishi Coates
  • The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
  • So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

We know that our nation’s current circumstances are incredibly agonizing for all.  We know that student health and well-being intersect with race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these intersections. Please be in contact with us and let us know how we may help you support your children around developing racial awareness, embedding social justice in their learning, and consequently improving their overall wellness.

We are committed to working within our SMH and San Antonio community to educate, support, and serve others. As we move forward, we will engage in talks with all of the members of our community to ensure we are addressing social and racial injustice issues inside and outside the classroom and make certain all of our students have a voice. 

In closing, we reflect on the wise words of poet and writer, Maya Angelou who said, “We should all know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Sincerely,

Jonathan Eades
Head of School

Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales
Director of Wellness

Len Miller
Incoming Head of School