Belonging is foundational to learning

How we practice belonging

Creating a community where everyone belongs takes ongoing care. When challenges arise, we listen with openness, try to understand one another, and assume good intentions, even when we disagree. Respect underpins how we show up in our community, curriculum and classrooms, and leadership. 

Belonging in our community

Our efforts to help ensure a genuine place for each person at PKS include:

• Affordability: We aim to make a PKS education more affordable for more families. 

• The Warmest Welcome: Each newly admitted family is paired with a grade-level “buddy family” to ease their transition into the PKS community.

• Parent Education: PKS 学习 | PKS Learns offers expert-led parent workshops that deepen understanding of our program and current issues in education. 

• Connection and Engagement: The Parent Association gives families meaningful ways to contribute through activities, committees, and affinity groups that enrich student learning and school life.

• Inclusive Events: Our Family Handbook shapes inclusive, accessible, low-cost community events and thoughtful scheduling that supports working families.

Belonging in our curriculum and classrooms

• Students’ sense of identity: We help students understand their identity and develop the confidence to take action in the world..

• Best practices across the board: Our curriculum draws on Asia Society’s Global Competence framework and Teaching Tolerance’s Social Justice Standards to prompt students from inquiry to action.

• Growing together as a team: PKS offers ongoing professional development to our educators through onsite, peer-to-peer, and external training on DEI-related topics.

Belonging in our leadership and governance

• Accountabilty: At PKS, we stay accountable to our DEI values by listening to and working with community stakeholders who help steer our efforts. 

• Faculty pedagogy groups: We host cross-grade conversations exploring practices and new approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom.

• Board of Directors DEI committee: This integral group of trustees helps ensure DEI values inform key board decisions, from leadership selection to budgeting to school evaluation. 

• Parent Association DEI Committee: Brings parents together to learn, share resources, celebrate our community, and partner with PKS leadership on DEI efforts.