Why We Gather

11/21/2018

Sarah Bruce, Principal

When I learned about the horrible events at St. Michael’s College School last Thursday, I felt the need to come together so that each student and staff member could feel the support of our entire community as we grappled with the shocking news. Every person in the room listened intently and seemed to acknowledge and embrace the message that, as members of the Greenwood community, we need to take care of one another, and to strive to do the right thing and always choose kindness. Our hearts go out to the members of the St. Michael’s community at this incredibly difficult time.

On Friday, we met again, this time with an opportunity to celebrate the athletic achievements of all students who participated in the Fall Athletics program. A student-produced slideshow captured some amazing highlights from the season. We had excellent student speakers, including Grade 12 student who has been on a sports team almost every term since she came to Greenwood in Grade 7. We also heard from two Grade 7 students - for these students, it was not only their first time on a Greenwood team, but the first time they had spoken in front of over 500 people. They all spoke wonderfully about what they had learned from their experiences on teams. Overall, the assembly was a reason to celebrate striving for personal bests, overcoming disappointment and celebrating victories--it was a wonderful gathering of our community.

Likewise, this past Monday’s assembly included a celebration of our House program; our House coordinators held Greenwood’s own Oscar ceremony, complete with an attempted delivery of the winner’s envelope by a drone (it did not go as planned, which made it even more of a crowd-pleaser). We also had a sneak preview of our Junior Play, Alice in Wonderland Jr., as well as a spotlights on service learning and the amazing talent and hard work of our artists.

In what can only be described as an extremely challenging time to be a teenager and to be parents and teachers of teenagers, I am grateful that we all have this opportunity to be a part of the Greenwood community.

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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 as settlers, 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.