At Pathways at the High School of Commerce, everything we do — for ourselves and for our school, in the classroom and in the community — builds on our cultural pillars and restorative community.
An environment that respects and inspires young people.
Cultural Pillars
We provide a strong foundation from which positive relationships are built: Pillars that guide how we all live with, support, and respect one another at Pathways.
By living these pillars every day, by making them the “air we breathe,” we create opportunities for you to gain the knowledge to explore your interests and become career or college ready — and have a positive impact on our community when you graduate.
Everyone is Welcome Here
We are a school where students, educators, parents, and visitors are noticed, welcomed, and valued.
Be Mindful in Thought and Actions
We are a school where rules have the sole intent to teach students to develop agency and responsibility in order to become the moral and ethical citizens we expect them to be.
Speak with Care and Power
We are a school where the language students frequently hear helps them tell a story about themselves that is one of limitless possibilities and potential (and, therefore, where students perform in ways that are consistent with that belief).
Create Equitable Opportunities
We are a school where students discover and develop opportunities to see what they are capable of achieving.
Surpass Expectations
We are a school where assumptions are not made and limits are not set.
Restorative Community
We also promote a culture of restorative justice to build a strong school community and to enable powerful learning at Pathways.
In line with our core values of agency and relationships, restorative justice is an approach to addressing disruptive behavior that centers on building relationships and righting wrongs, rather than simply assigning punishment.
We believe that relationships are foundational to the process of building and maintaining community.
We create safe spaces for the whole school community to feel welcome and speak their truth.
We choose to participate in building our school together.
We focus on repairing harm by taking responsibility and seeking to understand each other.
We trust in the process and work together to reach shared agreements.
Morning Circle
One of the most powerful and most common of our restorative justice practices is morning circle. Through this daily ritual, we all come together to reflect, share, encourage, and support each other — and in that circle, you can feel safe, form meaningful relationships, share opinions, and settle disagreements.
