Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives: October 2020

On October 6, Greenwood hosted an all staff DEI meeting. Staff revisited overt versus covert hate speech and discussed how we can, and should, all practice anti-racism. Principal Sarah Bruce also announced that staff now have two additional personal days that can be used for religious observances throughout the year.

The DEI team launched a DEI feedback form to students as an avenue for sharing ideas and experiences at Greenwood. Students are encouraged to help our community learn and grow by engaging in ongoing conversations about DEI. Students can submit suggestions about ways to make Greenwood more inclusive and they can also share experiences which made them (or others) feel excluded or marginalized. We hope this form will help all students feel that their voices are heard and their experiences are understood and valued.

During the Week of October 19, Greenwood celebrated Pride Week. Our Heads of Student Leadership, Liv Arbess ‘21 and Stewie Bain ‘21, as well as Ms. Bruce, delivered speeches about inclusivity and anti-racism. We also welcomed guest speakers from Get REAL who gave presentations on inclusive language, the power of personal stories, embracing identity, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and anti-racism. A Pride flag will also be displayed at the school year round. 

Many things are also being added and changed in our curriculum at the school. In the Media Literacy unit in Grade 9 English, students looked at intersectionality and queer representation. In Grade 10 History, big changes to the course included daily integration of diverse experiences; these included de-streaming the Holocaust unit (which was previously one of three lens options for studying World War II) and placing a larger emphasis on Chinese, Indigenous and Black experiences in Canada. 

One of our Professional Learning Development groups also launched a feedback form which has helped create a framework for teacher reflection and assessment of their own units with social justice and culturally responsive pedagogy.
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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.
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