Respect
We are open to difference and believe in the potential of each person. We promote the dignity of each person and protect the sacredness of all creation. We extend our acceptance and understanding toward students of all backgrounds and teach students a compassionate view of human dignity worldwide. Respect is about relationships we maintain with each other, the trust and true sense of caring that our teachers and advisors show to our students, and vice versa.
Leading with Respect
- Teachers, students, parents, guardians, and alumnae take part in DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) initiatives to ensure a school climate of respect and compassion for all.
- A Second Step program in the Lower School focuses on kindness and empathy.
- Teachers participate in civil discourse training grounded in listening and model it in the classroom.
- Advisors and counselors meet students where they are, listen with compassion, and foster self-respect and care.
- Affinity groups in the Middle School and High School provide safe spaces for students of adoption, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, and diverse cultures to support each other and be heard.
- Middle School and High School students participate in the annual STAMP inclusivity conference for students of color.
- Teachers reinforce positive behavior throughout the day in the Lower School with PAWS slips. Often a student is recognized for showing respect to a classmate by offering a hand, taking turns at a resource table, or yielding to others in a discussion.
- Each semester in the Lower School and each quarter in the Middle School and High School, we recognize students who embody the Loretto School Values. Student peer nominations frequently point to the respect and kindness of these Loretto Leaders.
- Loretto Spaces in every High School classroom feature posters to help guide respectful dialogue, including the use of positive body language, as they discuss topics of cultural, societal, and historical significance.
Out of all of the important attributes St. Mary's has given me, exercising empathy has been the most impactful. It dictates the way I interact with everyone around me and has allowed me to become a better listener, friend, and overall human being.
Chloe Callender
SMA Alumna, Class of 2022
The Loretto School Value of respect means appreciating the inherent value in everyone: ourselves, our peers, our teachers, our staff, our parents and families, and those in our larger community. And it means intentionally living with and relating to ourselves and others with a constant awareness of our universal, intrinsic worth.
Karen Smith
Lower School Principal