Community
Well-Being and Student Support
At Greenwood, we know that well-being is not created from the absence of discomfort. Instead, well-being is the ability to navigate a complex world equipped with a set of skills that lead to capacity, competence and confidence.
At Greenwood, student well-being is fostered through the development of the skills required to navigate a complex world. Our approach is rooted in the belief that well-being is a byproduct of capacity, competence, and confidence.
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Capacity: Ability to feel initial stress, process it, regulate and move into problem solving (Action). The amount of friction a student can metabolize without adult intervention.
- Competence: Actionable toolkit to employ when challenges arise that allows students to be an active agent in their own life.
- Confidence: Earned belief in one’s own agency grounded in evidence, rather than affirmation. Without confidence, challenges can be seen as threatening.
Students at our school are not shielded from challenges, problem-solving opportunities or uncomfortable situations. Instead, they will be immersed in a high-challenge, high-support environment where they will build the capacity to handle difficulty, the competence to solve their own problems, and the confidence that comes from overcoming obstacles independently. And, if students find themselves in a situation in which their learned and practiced adaptive strategies need support, school Social Workers are available for support and skill development directly.
Greenwood's Well-Being Strategy
Greenwood’s well-being strategy has three main areas of focus.
List of 3 items.
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Promote Social Interaction & Connection
Social Connection is fundamentally grounded in face-to-face interactions. Digital interaction, while useful for logistics and research, often displaces the critical social cues and emotional resonance found in real-time interaction.- Community Engagement: Students are expected to engage in "embodied" socialization—speaking directly to peers and faculty, resolving conflicts in person rather than via text, and participating actively in the physical life of the school (clubs, athletics, and outdoor education).
- Conflict Resolution: When interpersonal challenges arise, we view them as opportunities for social skill development. Using our Restorative Practices and Progressive Discipline framework, we guide students to repair relationships directly (when possible), fostering social competence rather than reliance on administrative intervention.
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Protection of Attention and Focus
Consistent with the research of psychologists regarding the impact of technology on youth development, Greenwood strives to protect the learning environment from the "attention economy." This is done in several ways, such as:- "Mobile device-Free" School Days: As outlined in the Information and Communication Technology Policy, the school day is a mobile-free zone. This practice is designed to minimize academic distraction as well as the anxiety that can come from constant digital comparison and the fragmentation of their attention. Additionally, a mobile device-free environment creates a higher volume of opportunities for social connection.
- Daily Habits: We strive to teach students adaptive positive organizational habits (cognitive, physical and emotional)—applying their full cognitive resources to one problem at a time—which is essential for both academic success, mental calm and social connections.
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Student Education About Stress
Resilience and "Good Stress" is differentiated between "harmful stress" (which we aim to mitigate through supportive intervention) and "adaptive stress" (the discomfort that accompanies growth).- Academic Sturdiness: Students are encouraged to view setbacks not as failures of ability, but as data for improvement. The Adviser Program plays a central role in helping students reframe academic pressure into a pursuit goal achievement.
- Independent Problem Solving: Well-being is strengthened when students possess agency. Staff are trained to support students in advocating for themselves—whether regarding a grade, a friendship, or a cocurricular commitment—rather than intervening immediately to remove the obstacle.
Roles and Responsibilities in Well-Being
Creating a culture of well-being is a partnership between the School, the Student, and the Family. The School implements evidence-based practices that rely on Family partnership and support, as well as student responsibility. Our Family Handbook clearly outlines these expectations and students review this with their Adviser throughout the year.
List of 5 items.
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Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Pluralism
Inclusive communities that are rooted in embracing all identities are foundational concepts of equity and diversity. A sense of belonging and an opportunity to explore all aspects of individual identity are essential to one's well-being and mental health.
Our community recognizes that these concepts are inextricably linked, and we strive to create systems and structures that support students in their own growth and development through this dual lens. -
In the Classroom
Well-being is fundamental to health, happiness and academic success. In the Greenwood classroom, teachers are intentional about planning for and supporting student well-being through community building, well-planned instruction, and personalization.Community building:Greenwood teachers make community building a priority because it lays the foundation for learning. Teachers build predictable classroom routines and structures, get to know student interests and aspirations, and facilitate opportunities for positive collaboration and interaction with peers. These practices help students to feel safe and included and to know that their unique experiences are valued.Well-planned instruction:In a well-planned classroom, well-being practices are woven into instruction. Along with the community building referenced above, Greenwood teachers set clear learning goals and provide ongoing feedback and support for students' learning journeys. Teachers work to provide authentic learning experiences, including various forms of experiential and project-based learning, that help students develop resilient perspectives toward learning.
Greenwood teachers believe that embracing challenges and finding purpose in school supports well-being. Teachers regularly coordinate student feedback, adjust instruction and work to include student voice in course planning and assignment parameters. In assessment, teachers offer opportunities for assignment choice based on student interest.Personalization:Greenwood teachers really know their students. This allows teachers to personalize instruction and assessment so students feel included, valued and inspired by their learning. Coaching conversations and directed feedback allow students to become more self-directed learners capable of self advocacy, resiliency and a growth mindset.
Teachers work collaboratively with students to find, maintain and support a “sweet spot” of challenge in their learning. This will differ from student to student and change over time. By communicating regularly with Advisers and the Student Success Centre, teachers support students in various spheres as they work to achieve their academic goals.
Moreover, recognizing that pursuing one's passions supports personalized growth and well-being, Greenwood’s academic program includes a wide range of elective courses representing a diverse set of student interests. -
Outdoor Education
Outdoor education has many important connections to student well-being. Getting outside of the typical classroom and connecting with peers in nature has been found to reduce anxiety and improve one’s feeling of general well-being. Outdoor education also provides students the opportunity to connect with their classmates and build stronger social-emotional relationships, which fosters a close-knit school community.
Collaboration, teamwork, overcoming challenges, and building resiliency are only a few of the many benefits to spending time outdoors in these types of environments. -
School Clubs & Committees
Student leadership committees and co-curricular clubs support well-being at Greenwood by providing students an opportunity for connection within and across the grades. Student leadership opportunities and responsibility for event ideation, creation and execution is progressive and increases according to a student's age and stage in a supportive environment.
All students in leadership work in partnership with an advising staff member, as well as their own Adviser, to reflect upon and determine next steps for growth. In this way, the student leadership model is personalized for students' well-being while teaching students essential skills like:- balancing co-curricular commitments with academic pursuits;
- time management;
- stress management;
- prioritization; and
- self-advocacy.
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School Environment
We endeavour to seek out opportunities for students to enhance their well-being in the various environments in which they learn. When behavioural or social challenges occur, our staff work in partnership with students, parents/guardians and fellow staff members to implement progressive discipline and restorative practices. This approach encourages student learning and growth and cultivates community.
Student voice, individual needs and community dynamics are paramount at Greenwood, and each of these elements plays a role in helping us to continually improve the school environment and increase students' overall level of well-being.
Our Well-being Team
Each student is matched with an Adviser specializing in their stage of development; Advisers have completed Mental Health First Aid training and are attuned to their advisees' well-being. Students also have access to support from our well-being team.
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| Laura Mincer (on leave) Social Worker Email Laura |
Sara Jouppi Social Worker Email Sara |
Nikki White Social Worker Email Nikki |
Kash Gilbert School Nurse Email Kash |
Greenwood College School
443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.
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Greenwood College School Charitable registration number: 873553317RR0001
Greenwood College School Foundation Charitable registration number: 860082247RR0001
Greenwood College School Charitable registration number: 873553317RR0001
Greenwood College School Foundation Charitable registration number: 860082247RR0001