Community

Community & Belonging

At Laurel School, the fulfillment of our mission: "To inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world" requires that we respect and fully honor each member of our community.

Belonging at Laurel serves as a resource to the community for training, social and cultural programming and inclusive educational approaches. We strive to promote equity and justice.

An Inclusive and Equitable School Community

A K-12 school for girls with a coed Early Childhood, Laurel School is proud to be an inclusive and equitable school. We know communities are stronger when its members represent a variety of experiences and backgrounds. We are committed to embracing students whose individuality will enrich our learning environment. We seek to hire faculty and staff members who will bring their unique skills and perspectives to Laurel School.

Belonging Student Groups

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Asian Culture Society (Upper School)

The Asian Culture Society educates the school community about the diversity of customs, foods and daily life across the continent. Members try different cuisines, watch movies and shows from and about Asian countries, and promote cultural awareness.
Black Student Union (BSU) (Upper School)

The BSU’s mission is to promote discussion and dialogue between all students at Laurel. We hope to create a safe space for all BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) and to discuss nationwide current events, historical events, and any contemporary issues within our school regarding the Black community.
Jewish Culture Club (Upper School)

Mission: To educate students on Jewish culture, current events happening in Israel and around the globe and the diversity of culture within the Jewish religion. We welcome people of all religions and backgrounds.
L.E.A.F. Laurel’s Environmental Action for the Future (Upper School)

Do you want to be a changemaker for the future of our planet’s health? Join LEAF! Help to make the Laurel campus more sustainable. Educate the Laurel community and beyond in fun and creative ways. Learn how you can live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Laurel Christian Fellowship (Upper School)

Mission: A space for people to share their own opinions and listen to the opinions of others with a Christian-based lens.
Linked@Laurel (Primary & Middle Schools)

Established in 2013, Linked@Laurel, an affinity group that promotes cultural awareness for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) at Laurel, provides a supportive and welcoming space in which girls spend time with other girls and teachers who share their racial identity. Students may discuss and explore books and share stories about their experiences, hobbies, families and cultures. Research suggests such groups are essential for young children in strengthening racial identity when they are in the minority of a school population. Participating in Linked@Laurel is a choice each girl makes for herself with input from her family.
Muslim Student Association (Upper School)

A community for Muslim students at Laurel to gather and support each other in Islam. The club will host a space for talks, prayers and Islamic activities. All students are welcome if they are interested in learning more about the Islamic faith.
Prism (Upper School)

Mission: To provide acceptance of LGBT+ and respect for difference in identity, orientation and presentation and to raise awareness and support for LGBT+ issues.

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On Gender

Laurel School is proud of our long-standing tradition of raising up the voices of girls and women and educating our students to fulfill their promise and better the world. Within this environment, designed for the education of girls, we value and respect the safety of all members of our community, no matter their gender identity, and expect all our constituents to respect the school’s history, values and mission. Should a current Laurel student begin to question their gender identity and/or identify as other than female, we will continue to support that student as a member of the Laurel School community and work with the student and the student’s family to determine if Laurel continues to be the right setting for that student.
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Meet the Director of Community & Belonging

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Candace Maiden

Director of the Middle School; Director of Community & Belonging

Bio
Candace Maiden earned a B.A. from The Ohio State University, an M.A. in Counseling at Dallas Baptist University, a Master in Teaching at Liberty University, and a graduate certificate in Diversity and Equity in the Workplace from University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

After three years of teaching at Laurel, Ms. Maiden was the recipient of The Virginia Beidler Neff Award in 2020. In 2022, Ms. Maiden was recognized as a Woman of Professional Excellence with the YWCA. Ms. Maiden is the facilitator of the Black/African American Families of Laurel Affinity Group, Linked @ Laurel, and is the proud mother of a Laurel student.

Candace can be reached by emailing her at cMaiden@LaurelSchool.org.