At SBS, we believe that it is our duty to improve our school and ourselves in order to create a space in which our students, faculty, staff, and families feel safe and valued. We commit to this duty by examining how our community consciously or unconsciously creates spaces for belonging and affirmation by centering the principles of humanity, integrity, justice, and compassion.

DEI is integral to the School and offers community-wide training and programming throughout the year. Staff regularly receive DEI training during professional development days.

Community, Equity & Justice Vision Statement | August 2021

Stoneleigh-Burnham School strives to inspire our students to pursue meaningful lives, and we celebrate our students and our community in all that we do. As a school, we endeavor to be an anti-bias, anti-racist, and culturally responsive educational environment. We value lived experiences, diversity, and wisdom in all forms. Our collective goal is to help every member of our community feel seen, heard, supported, and empowered to thrive. 

As a community, we make a commitment to each other to speak and act with humanity, integrity, justice, and compassion toward a shared goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These principles serve as expressions that honor diverse perspectives and experiences not simply as enrichment, but as an essential aspect of a quality education, and as our duty to each other.

Land Acknowledgment | May 2021

Amended by Hassana ’24, Drew ’24, Gabrielle ’24, and Stella ’24 on behalf of the Class of 2024

As a community we honor the legacy and voices of indigenous peoples. This land is forever connected to indigenous worship and heritage; to steal this land and erase indigenous legacies and voices is- the ultimate disrespect to the history of their rich cultures. In acknowledgment of that erasure, we are here to passionately communicate with the utmost respect, an acknowledgment of the indigenous land that our school sits on.

Stoneleigh-Burnham School acknowledges that we are situated upon the stolen ancestral homelands of the Pocumtuc peoples. We also recognize our present-day neighboring indigenous nations: The Abenaki to the north, the Nipmuc and Wampanoag to the east, and the Mohican to the west.

We acknowledge the history of genocide and forced removal here, like the massacre at Peskeompskut. We honor and pay our respects to the diverse indigenous peoples who stewarded and honored this land throughout the generations before us, who represent the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

DEI Engagement

SBS students, faculty, and staff will continue to participate in workshops, professional development sessions, and other relevant trainings to advance the School’s DEI mission and vision. 

Trustee DEI Committee

Denise Bruner ’70 – Chair
Leslie Powers P’15 – Member
June Coolidge-Scott ’83 – Member
Cyd Scott – P’20 – Member
Laurie Lambert – Head of School

Board Level DEI Ombudsperson

The board level ombudsperson can be reached at:
[email protected].

Ombudsperson: a person who investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints.