Diversity at FMS

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

As a Friends school, we are committed to the Quaker testimonies of community, equity, equality, and peace. Every person has an inner Light and therefore a fundamental right to respect, understanding, and inclusion. This belief underscores everything we do at Friends Meeting School and serves as a guidepost as we seek to uplift and support our diverse community. We embody this mission by inviting reflection on our individual experiences and perspectives, while educating ourselves on the lives and history of all peoples and identities. In doing so, we seek to find commonality with each other, highlight how we all share in the Light, and find ways to use our evolving understanding of the world to serve others.

We recognize that our efforts to promote equity and inclusion are part of an ongoing process that requires intentional and continuous reflection and action. We challenge ourselves to examine our own biases, assumptions, and privileges. We endeavor to address the systemic and structural barriers that prevent the full participation and empowerment of all people, especially historically and currently marginalized and minoritized people. We also advocate for lifelong learning to serve the educational needs of all cultural groups, and we work to change the systems to ensure healthy and effective responses to diversity. We strive to cultivate a culture of belonging, where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, and we prepare our students to be active and responsible citizens in our diverse and increasingly interconnected world.

Approved by the FMS board of trustees, December 2023

Since the earliest years of Quakerism, Friends have used “advices and queries” to share guidance and impart wisdom. Queries invite reflection and raise awareness, and these questions can be anchored with deeply held values, which are articulated in the advices.

In the fall of 2023, the advices and queries below were developed through an inclusive process that involved staff, trustees, and parents with the aim of clarifying how to communicate with each other in ways that promote community.

Advices

At Friends Meeting School, we commit to:

Profound mutual respect -
We seek to build trust through attention to relationships and boundaries, thoughtful decision-making, and consistency.

Generosity of spirit -
We seek to treat ourselves and each other with care and grace.

Lifelong learning -
We seek to remain open to feedback and growth.

Acknowledgement of impact -
We seek to engage in restoration when harm occurs.
We seek to convey gratitude when we benefit from positive actions.

Queries