Student Life
Benedictine Bridging & Belonging (DEIB)
The Diversity Program at Priory is geared towards matching our mission and values through individual growth as well as creating a community where all are welcome.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mission Statement
The Woodside Priory School, following its Benedictine history and tradition, believes strongly in social justice and progressive change for the advancement of the world. As such, we are deeply committed to equity and inclusion in our community: for students, faculty, and staff who come from underrepresented backgrounds. Nearly half our student population are students of color who come from various socioeconomic, ethnic, and regional backgrounds. The Priory thrives on this diversity. We as a school recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the many identities that make up our community. The Priory is constantly striving and working to be a better place - a place where all people feel safe, supported, and celebrated. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (faculty and staff) works with many student groups, as well as the school administration, to ensure that all voices are heard. As members of a Benedictine community, we are constantly learning and moving forward together.
“The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good
News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives
will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:18)
Equity & Inclusion Programs at the Priory
Faculty/Staff
The Priory has an Equity and Inclusion committee comprised of faculty and staff at the school. Anyone can join this committee; these people are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice and meet on their own time. Additionally, we send at least four faculty and staff to the NAIS’ People of Color Conference every year. The committee meets about once a month to discuss professional development and school-appropriate issues. We give space for faculty and staff to voice concerns, and we also discuss student issues. The committee has created a five-year plan that strategizes the Priory’s plan toward becoming a more equitable institution.
Affinity and Alliance Groups for Students
At Woodside Priory School, our community is dedicated to providing safe and brave spaces to gather for those people who have a common identifier, as well as those who wish to support, learn, and uplift others.
Our affinity groups are made for those who have common identities such as race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. Each serves as a space for those with a common identity who can speak to the lived experience of being a member of the group from an “I” perspective. Meeting at least once per quarter and facilitated by adult members of the community (largely school faculty/staff), these spaces allow our students to feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are; to strengthen resilience while safeguarding against harm and blame; to prepare to engage meaningfully with others; and to develop skills to take action and feel empowered.
Our alliance clubs are made for those who have a common commitment to a group of people who share a common identifier (e.g., as listed above). The space is for those individuals who identify as members of the group but also for those who support and stand in solidarity with that same group. Student-led with the support of an adult moderator, examples of alliance programming are: school-wide celebrations, involvement in themed chapels, and lunch or after-school gatherings involving learning, dialogue, and food.
Student Affinity and Alliance Groups
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Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Affinity
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Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
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Black Student Union
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Black Student Alliance
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Jewish Student Union
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Jewish Student Alliance
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Latine Affinity Group
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Latinos Unidos
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LGBTQIA+ Affinity
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PRISM
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Middle Eastern Affinity
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Middle Eastern Alliance
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Multiracial Affinity
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Priory is a member of POCIS.
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Priory is a Peninsula Bridge partner.
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