Community Culture

A Letter from the Director of Community Culture

Dear St. Agnes Community,

The motto of St. Agnes Academy is Veritas, and the truth of our Catholic faith is that we are called to honor the dignity of every individual. Each one of us is crafted in God’s image, and we are all worthy of experiencing God’s unconditional love. Catholic Social Teaching promotes the dignity of the individual and our solidarity as one human family seeking peace and justice. St. Agnes models God’s unconditional love and Catholic Social Teaching through the expression of the Dominican pillars of Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching in all we do, and the Office of Community Culture is an extension of this mission imperative.

I am proud to serve the St. Agnes community as the Director of Community Culture, as I believe my personal and professional experience has led me to serve in this capacity. I feel fortunate to have been born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and American mother and to have grown up between Mexico and the U.S. This allowed me to grow up bilingual, bicultural, and with a great deal of empathy. I appreciate the advantage of a girls’ school because I attended Ursuline Academy of Dallas, which prepared me for success in my Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and subsequent Master of Science in Educational Leadership with a Catholic Leadership Certificate from Creighton University. My professional background includes social services in immigrant communities, being Director of Cultural Competency for the Regional Behavioral Health Authority in Maricopa County, and almost 20 years in Catholic high school administration and teaching.

As Director of Community Culture, I serve as a Social Studies teacher, a member of the Principal’s Team and the Academics Hiring Team, and I am responsible for oversight of the student Affinity Clubs – organizations promoting belonging and advocacy for under voiced communities - including:

Cultural Student Dance Team

Diversity Club

Infinity Neurodivergent Union (INU

Kaleidoscope

Latin American Youth Association (LAYA)

Middle Eastern Club (MEC)

Organization of Asian Students in St. Agnes (OASIS)

South Asian Society (SAS)

Voices of Black Youth (VOBY)

Additionally, I am continuing implementation of Beloved Community, St. Agnes’ Three-Year Community Culture Strategic Plan, that promotes equitable practices for the entire St. Agnes community, which you can read more about below.

I commit to celebrating St. Agnes’ diversity and to promoting equitable and inclusive practices for St. Agnes Academy’s students, families, and faculty/staff. I am particularly interested in involving more parents representing diverse backgrounds and identities in St. Agnes community life. Please reach out at 713-219-5435 or monica.delacerda@st-agnes.org if interested in learning more.

Sincerely,

Monica de la Cerda

Community Culture Department

List of 1 members.

Monica de la Cerda

Director of Community Culture

(713) 219-5435

IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM PRIORITIES

Continuing implementation of Beloved Community, St. Agnes’ Three-Year Community Culture Strategic Plan, that promotes equitable practices for the entire St. Agnes community around the themes of:

Build Critical Thinking and Productive Dialogue
Communication
Curriculum Review
Representation & Racial Awareness
Community Engagement and Celebrations
Hiring

List of 5 items.

Productive Dialogue

Engaging students and faculty/staff in deliberate and detailed efforts to promote human dignity through supportive and respectful dialogue in an ongoing roundtable series.
Curriculum Review

Alongside the Office of the Academic Dean and the St. Agnes Faculty, strengthening the academic curriculum and pedagogical practices so that students see themselves while learning the critical skills that will help them fulfill our Dominican commitment to social justice.
Representation

Creating a bias support process based on a framework of Social Emotional Well-Being, Accountability, Education, Restorative Justice, and Community Restoration.
Community Engagement

Building a network of students, families, faculty/staff, and alumnae with extensive training and agency in creating an equitable and inclusive St. Agnes community using the National SEED Network model.
Hiring

Supporting hiring, training, and retention strategies that enhance a sense of belonging and of professional excellence.

LEARNING

St. Agnes faculty and students have opportunities for professional development on equity, inclusion, and community building.

NAIS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE (POCC)

Every year, St. Agnes Academy sends faculty and staff to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) sponsored conference to engage with key topics around educating students of color and those from marginalized groups in an independent school.

NAIS STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (SDLC)

A group of St. Agnes Academy student leaders attend the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) sponsored conference to hone their leadership and advocacy skills.

THE MAIN IDEA FACULTY BOOK CLUB

Each month, St. Agnes faculty members gather to discuss The Main Idea subscription summaries of current education or leadership books. The books included are intended to enhance student learning and often focus on equity and inclusion.

SEED
SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) brings people together to learn through self-reflection, builds relationships through structured dialogue, and creates change through systemic analysis.