One of the realities about middle school children is that their social development is incomplete.  Regardless of the values parents instill in them, they struggle to consistently navigate the challenges of adolescence. MCDS is committed to creating an inclusive environment for our children, who come from such diverse backgrounds and life circumstances. Our students spend as much time at school as they do at home, so we want every child to feel at home at MCDS.

It was in that spirit that nine years ago the middle school created the iBelong initiative. Regular activities help our students build empathy and, hopefully, bring the community together. The eighth-grade peer counselors take the lead in creating and facilitating these experiences, with Mrs. Kassewitz and Mr. Fallik providing guidance. The peer counselors produced this video to introduce the program. Today, we will hold our first iBelong coffeehouse of the year, for students to engage in dialogue.