Issuu

Issue 3

2025/2026

INSIDE MONDAYS

Behind the Scenes: Our Faculty’s Ongoing Professional Development Journey Ms. Juliana Menezes Superintendent

Inside Mondays:

Faculty Development That Fuels Our Mission

Fostering a Culture of Belonging and Dignity

As part of our commitment and partnership with families, this newsletter from the Superintendent offers a window into the meaningful work happening behind the scenes each week. Every Monday, our faculty engages in Professional Development sessions, led by different faculty members, focused on enhancing teaching practices, deepening collaboration, and ultimately supporting student learning and growth. Through these updates, we hope to keep our community informed and connected to the continuous efforts that enrich our students' educational experience.

Dr. Derrick Gay (Guest Speaker)

During one of our Professional Development sessions, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Derrick Gay, a globally recognized Belonging and Intercultural Strategist dedicated to fostering cultures rooted in dignity and respect. Dr. Gay worked with our teachers to reflect on how we, as adults in a learning community, shape the culture of our shared environment. With deep expertise in intercultural work, Dr. Gay thoughtfully integrates each school’s unique cultural, linguistic, and geographic nuances into his approach. He is mindful of the regional and country-specific frameworks, customs, needs, laws, and practices that shape each educational context. Very knowledgeable about Brazilian culture and fluent in Portuguese, Dr. Gay collaborates with several American schools in Brazil and has partnered with over 500 schools worldwide to promote belonging and intercultural understanding. This responsibility extends far beyond policies and procedures. It requires the daily practice of awareness, empathy, and professionalism in how we communicate and engage with one another. Research consistently affirms that cultivating a culture grounded in dignity and respect must begin with adults. Our ongoing efforts will focus on strengthening intercultural competency by deepening our awareness of how our words and actions influence relationships and by implementing strategies that promote respectful and professional collaboration. By cultivating these competencies among adults, we build the foundation to model for our students what it truly means to live, learn, and thrive in a community guided by empathy, dignity, and mutual respect.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Derrick Gay back to Chapel next semester, when he will lead a Parent Talk, furthering the conversation about our shared responsibility to cultivate a school culture rooted in belonging and dignity. Learning Never Stops - Faculty in Action Learning Never Stops - Faculty in Action

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