About

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

DIGNITY, DIVERSITY, AND BELONGING

ORCHARD...THE PLACE WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS

At The Orchard School, we want every child to feel known, valued, and like they belong here. That means being able to be themselves, having teachers who really know them, and learning alongside people with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

As a progressive independent school in Indianapolis serving students from Preschool through Grade 8, we believe those differences are an important part of learning. Children learn a lot when they listen to each other, ask questions, share their own experiences, work through disagreements, and discover that there is more than one way to see the world.

That is what dignity, diversity, and belonging mean at Orchard.

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

WHY DIGNITY, DIVERSITY, AND BELONGING?

Dignity starts with something pretty simple: every person has worth and deserves to be treated that way.

Diversity recognizes that we don't all come from the same places, have the same experiences, believe the same things, or see the world in the same way.

Belonging is what we hope grows from there. We want children and families to know there is a place for them at Orchard and that they don't have to be just like everyone else to be part of the community.
ORCHARD HAS A BOARD COMMITTEE DEDICATED TO THIS WORK. WHAT DOES IT DO?

Dignity, diversity, and belonging aren't just classroom conversations at Orchard. We have a dedicated committee of our Board of Directors focused on this work, along with a faculty committee that helps bring it into the day-to-day life of the school.

At the Board level, the committee helps keep dignity, diversity, and belonging part of the larger conversations about Orchard's direction, policies, and future. At school, that work takes many forms, from what and how students learn to professional development for faculty and staff and the ways we think about admissions, hiring, financial assistance, and community life.
WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FOR A CHILD?

Sometimes it's big. Often, it's not.

It's a teacher knowing a child well enough to notice when something isn't quite right. It's a student feeling comfortable sharing an idea that is different from everyone else's. It's learning how to disagree without treating someone poorly. It's seeing different families, cultures, experiences, and perspectives reflected at school. It's making mistakes, asking questions, listening, and trying again.

And it's knowing that being part of a community doesn't require everyone in it to be the same.
IS THIS SOMETHING NEW AT ORCHARD?

No. The name is new. The ideas aren't.

They go back to Orchard's founding in 1922 and our roots in progressive education. Our founding mothers wanted children to learn with and from one another, experience different perspectives, and understand what it means to be part of a community.

More than 100 years later, we're still doing that work.
WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE DIVERSITY, DIGNITY, & BELONGING COMMITTEE?

Lisa Hancock
Member of the Board of Directors
Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee
Current Parent · Past PA President

Ed Hollinger
Head of School
Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee

Barb James
Member of the Board of Directors
Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee
Parent of Alumni · Current Grandparent

Taleesha Martin
Kindergarten Teacher
Faculty Representative, Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee

Shawn Odle
Member of the Board of Directors
Co-Chair, Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee
Parent of Alumni

Deb Thornburgh
Vice President, Executive Committee of the Board of Directors
Co-Chair, Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee
Parent of Alumni · Current Grandparent · Past PA President · Retired Orchard Employee of 25 Years

Julie Wingate
Member of the Board of Directors
Dignity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee
Parent of Alumni · Retired Orchard Employee of 32 Years