Speaking Out Against Hate

Allan Hardy, Principal
This is not the first time in my career that I’ve seen such difficult and upsetting events occur; our own community isn’t immune to them.  As you may have heard from your child, Greenwood also suffered its own troubling incident at the beginning of April, when one of our after-hours cleaners found a swastika that had been drawn anonymously in marker on a wall in the boys’ change room.
 
We responded by addressing the matter directly with the entire student body at a school assembly on April 3. We talked about the history of the symbol, about the depth of the hatred it represents and about how it is an affront to the values of our school and our community. And, of course, we made it clear that it wouldn’t be tolerated and that any student with knowledge of this incident should report it to school administration.

There have been no further incidents in our community since then – although one student did report seeing this symbol on a school bus used by Greenwood and shared with other schools. If anything, the speed and purpose with which that student brought this to our attention indicated that our message had an impact; the bus company was notified and they removed the symbol at once. 
 
It’s not easy to see such hateful gestures appear, and we must confront them head on and model how to respond, calmly and forcefully. I encourage you to join us in using what’s happened at UCC and at Greenwood as an opportunity to discuss with your child the need to be vigilant and speak out against racism and hatred, wherever it appears.
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Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
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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