A Caring Community
A Caring Community
We value community at McLean because we believe it’s the foundation of learning success: strong bonds lift us up and allow us to reach our goals, and also hold us in challenging times.
But a thriving community doesn’t just build itself — it takes intention, innovation, investment, patience, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. Service learning and mindfulness education are two important ways we focus attention on individual and community wellness, and all of our efforts emphasize diversity, respect, and responsibility and engage faculty as well as students and their families to create a culture we can all feel good about.
Equity MattersInclusive
McLean School’s commitment to diversity and equity is an extension of our mission to make education accessible, stimulating, and meaningful to a broad range of learners. We embrace the wealth of experience that differences of ethnicity, race, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, color, sexual orientation, or gender contribute to our community. With an expectation of personal integrity and respect for others, our students acquire the skills and sensibilities necessary for living in a world of change and difference. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures we put this into practice each and every day.
Standards & IntegrityCommunity Expectations
Our community thrives when every member understands, supports, and honors McLean’s community expectations guided by our Core Values. The Lower School Pledge Program, Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible, lays the groundwork for McLean’s culture of caring and mutual respect. The Middle School PRIDE Program (Positive Interaction, Respect/Responsibility, Individual and Community Safety, Decision Making, and Empathy) expands the expectations we have for our code of conduct. The Upper School Honor Code expects students to show respect for the campus and the people who comprise our school by demonstrating honesty, courtesy, and appropriate behavior.
Keeping Pace with ProgressDigital Citizenship
The digital age requires us to understand the many implications for its use. We encourage our community to think critically, behave safely and respectfully, maintain healthy digital relationships, and participate responsibly in the digital sphere. Digital citizenship includes awareness of digital bullying, cyber security, plagiarism, internet addiction, and digital footprint.
Having a VoiceStudent Government & Engagement
Student participation in the Climate Committees of Lower and Middle School and Student Government and Honor Committees in the Upper School are essential to our positive culture and community. Each committee is comprised of student representatives, who serve as the voice of the student body, and share concerns, opinions, and recommendations with the administration. Student-led initiatives are an integral part of the student experience.
Supporting the Whole ChildSocial Emotional Programming
As educators, we are committed to building a space where students have the expectations, language, and skills to navigate issues related to sense of self, friendship, stress management, and their overall place in our community and greater world. Pulling curriculum from Responsive Classroom, the Developmental Designs Advisory Guide (the subsequent program to Responsive Classroom), Facing History and Ourselves Community Matters, and Owning Up, our homeroom teachers and advisors are the cornerstone to providing age appropriate, targeted, consistent social-emotional learning activities that enhance our ongoing activities and efforts. Most recently, we have with partnered with the IIRP (International Institute for Restorative Practices) to introduce techniques and strategies our faculty and students can utilize to strengthen our intentions around community engagement and conflict resolution.
ParentResources
As part of fostering parent community, McLean provides a variety of resources and programs including the yearly Community Education Cecily’s Conference, and ongoing Community Education Parent Series. These presentations and workshops by local and national experts, along with book discussions and Parent Association led Affinity Groups, provide meaningful and educational experiences for our parents.