Mark Day School discovers and nurtures what is finest in each child in a vibrant and inclusive learning community. Innovative and full of heart, Mark Day School strives to develop well-rounded critical thinkers in a challenging program that fosters academic excellence and responsible world citizenship.
Our Philosophy
At Mark Day School we:
- Offer a strong, dynamic academic curriculum, enriched by programs in the arts, physical education, service learning, and outdoor education, with an emphasis on social-emotional development.
- Honor and are guided by the Seven Pillars of Character: Caring, Courage, Citizenship, Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Fairness.
- Embrace diversity in preparing students for a global future.
- Combine thoughtful innovation with enduring best practices.
- Provide a hands-on program that encourages curiosity, develops independence, and addresses different learning styles.
- Strive to teach, learn, and live in a sustainable way.
- Integrate technology for learning at age-appropriate levels.
- Foster a partnership between our school and parents/guardians, which is vital to the success of each child.
- Understand that each member of our community blossoms in an atmosphere of safety, encouragement, support, and collaboration.
- Believe that school should be challenging, fun, engaging, and joyful.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Why does DEI in education matter so much? In short, excellence demands it. At Mark Day, our collective work to become a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just community has been ongoing from our very first days as a school.
This work, rooted in our school mission, touches all areas and people at Mark Day; it is evident in faculty professional development, school policies, student learning, and classroom practices.
At Mark Day School, we believe that joy, wisdom, and compassion spring from honoring the diversity of the human community. Learning about the families, cultures, traditions, and beliefs of others, as well as learning about ourselves, is not only enriching, it is essential for academic excellence and responsible world citizenship.
Our goal is to be a leader in the pursuit of inclusion, empathy, and equity. To that end, we partner with other schools and institutions, both locally and globally, that similarly believe that a diverse, inclusive, and socially responsible community is intrinsic to academic excellence, social justice, and global citizenship. These relationships are reciprocal in nature - we all have something to teach and something to learn.
Principles for a Diverse, Inclusive, and Socially Responsible Community
When choosing Mark Day School, families and employees become part of a socially responsible community striving to become conscious of, and teach about, all aspects of diversity and inclusiveness. The following principles are in keeping with the school’s Seven Pillars of Character and reflect its identity and mission:
- Everyone deserves respect, appreciation, and equal opportunity regardless of differences in ability, age, ethnicity, nationality, home langage, family make-up, gender, physical attributes, race, religion, thoughts and beliefs, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
- The composition of our school community should reflect the diversity and multicultural composition of the global and local communities in which we live.
- We condemn and reject prejudice and acts of intolerance while actively seeking to educate and raise awareness about how to reconcile and heal from such acts.
- We accept and advance the obligations that arise from education and citizenship in a democratic society, including the responsibility to serve one’s global and local communities and to contribute to the betterment of the human condition.
DEIJ is not a separate program at Mark Day. It is part of everything that we do and every decisionthat we make, woven into our practices and curriculum intentionally and thoughtfully. We know based on research that DEIJ elevates the academic challenge and depth of critical thinking for students as a result of the infusion of complexity and multiple perspectives.Fernanda Pernambuco Director of Partnerships, Equity & Inclusion
7 Pillars of Character
Development of good character has been at the heart of Mark Day School since its inception. In 1997, our community formally adopted these foundational values:
- Caring
- Courage
- Citizenship
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Honesty
- Fairness
Today, the 7 Pillars are integrated into the life of the school and are part of all we do. They call us to abide by our highest standards.
