Discover Calvary

Diversity, Love and Inclusion


We believe we are better as a community when we engage and understand our differences. Loving one another is the pathway to living well in community and changing the world around us for the better.

An Inclusive Community at Calvary

At Calvary Christian School, our mission is to actively love, appreciate, and understand the unique contributions of each individual that makes up our community and the world around us. We believe each person has been purposely created by God with unique traits, personalities, backgrounds, and passions, and we are better as a community when we engage and affirm the differences among us.  Through meaningful dialogue, discussion and continued education, our desire is to honor, value and love each individual member of our community. We are dedicated to valuing diversity and modeling inclusion in our education, parent programs, admissions, and hiring practices. While we acknowledge that there is always work to be done towards loving one another better, we are also proud of the safe and connected community that we have worked hard to achieve.

As we engage in the ongoing work that we must do to improve inclusion among our students, faculty, and families, we are actively pursuing programs, education, and practices to support these efforts. These opportunities lead to rich dialogue, mutual understanding and the building of a school community that loves, cares for and celebrates each unique individual.  This is a never-ending call, with its own unique challenges, and we acknowledge that there is always room to grow. At the heart of Calvary Christian School is the desire to raise up a generation of students who are quick to love, embrace, and include those around them, with the understanding that our community is enriched by the differences among us.

Implementing the Work of DLI

Calvary’s culture of family, along with our dedicated staff and school programs, is a positive foundation for promoting a lifetime of loving others well.  We formed a DLI task force following our 2018 Accreditation process, as part of our commitment to continue to strategically increase awareness and bring diversity to our school community.  This committee was made up of school administration, staff, parents, Board of Trustees members, and Parent Association Board members, and was focused on increasing opportunities to love one another in our school community. As a direct result of the work of this committee, we have made changes such as implementing social-emotional curriculum, reviewing admissions practices, and continuing professional development with a DLI focus. The conversations and efforts around DLI are ongoing, as we acknowledge that this is a never-ending work.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4

Love In Action

Our Christian education provides a foundation for each individual in our community to understand God’s love and the unique gifts, traits, and backgrounds which reflect God’s creativity and purpose for each person.  As we read In John 15:12 – “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.”

List of 4 items.

  • For Calvary Students

    For many years, our Community Service Program has encouraged our students to interact with those from other socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.  We have seen empathy and understanding fostered as our students step into the world of others.
     
    Calvary’s community is made up of families with unique ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Star Student, Soul Surfer, and Unique of the Week programs in elementary school allow a time when our students can share about the unique culture and background of their own family.
     
    Our Cougar of the Month award recognizes students with character qualities that value inclusion, such as friendship, compassion, and peacemaking.
     
    Throughout their years at Calvary, our students read books with an intentional theme of diversity.  From Wonder, Dyamonde Daniel, Moon Over Manifest, The Giver, The House on Mango Street, books are used to tell the stories of other cultures and experiences. Important lessons such as empathy, struggle, compassion, and injustice are reinforced through these literary works and the classroom discussion surrounding these books from Preschool through 8th Grade.
     
    Our Elementary curriculum includes Cultural Arts, which allows for exploration of foreign language, as well as cultures and traditions. Through this weekly class, our students have the opportunity to experience and learn about other cultures firsthand. Our students are exposed to the wide world around them, fostering understanding and creating positive experiences.

  • For Calvary Parents

    Our Parent Education program provides educational opportunities for our parent body to have the conversations essential for growth and understanding as parents raising kids in today's world.

    Through a variety of speakers covering a wide range of topics, such as technology, healthy competition, substance usage, and intentionality around inclusivity, we regularly offer these poignant conversations and educational events. The goal is to provide our parent community with opportunities to have real dialogue around the complicated issues we face together and to grow in our sensitivity and love for one another.

  • In Admissions

    Calvary Christian School is deeply committed to a welcoming experience for all prospective families as they complete the admissions process. Through personal conversations, campus visits, invitations to events, and connections with current families, we strive to give prospective parents a feel for the warmth of the Calvary community, which values the unique identity of each student and parent. Our admissions and financial assistance policies are designed to provide an opportunity for all students exploring a Calvary education.
     
    Not only is the Calvary population varied in its ethnic backgrounds, but also in its spiritual make-up, with about half of our student body attending church on a regular basis, drawing from 30+ different Los Angeles churches. This diversity in faith experiences is welcomed at Calvary and engages our students in rich, meaningful conversations about faith and individual practice.
     
    Calvary Christian School admits students of any race, color, religion, nationality and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate against applicants or families on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

  • Hiring and Professional Development

    At Calvary Christian School, we believe that the inclusive community we desire among our families must begin with the faculty and staff. Our desire is to always be a safe and supportive environment where our employees can flourish in their love for children and their unifying appreciation of education. We feel the caliber of our teachers is unmatched; the men and women who make up our staff are truly some of the very best. Our faculty is strategically diverse with the understanding that the personal experiences of each faculty member represent something unique and valuable to the greater school community.  We intentionally cast the net wide as positions open, in hopes to reach a wide range of applicants. 
     
    Professional Development is an integral part of our commitment to keeping our staff sensitive and informed with regards to important topics, technologies, themes, and research.  Building a safe, loving community for all students is an on-going commitment of the Calvary Administration, Board of Trustees, and faculty as we develop curriculum and professional development opportunities.