Torch - 2021 Edition

The school takes much of its framework from the Social Justice Standards (tolerance.org/frameworks/social- justice-standards) by Teaching Tolerance. This non-profit organization provides free resources to educators to help emphasize social justice and anti-bias from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. The need to start these conversations with our youngest students is supported by a 2020 Unicef report that found that babies notice physical differences such as skin colour from as early as six months, while studies have shown that by the age of five, children can show signs of racial bias. 2 Teaching Tolerance outlines a focus on four domains—identity, diversity, justice and action: • Identity centres around developing one’s self-awareness of who they are. • Diversity looks at how one expresses and interacts with human diversity. Things such as using accurate language for differences and the ability to make caring human connections are covered. • Justice looks at one’s ability to recognize unfairness and its implications in broader society as well as school society. • Action explores a student’s ability Although all grades participate in DEI programming centred around Teaching Tolerance’s framework, activities vary depending on age and stage. At the Junior School, for example, September’s theme was getting to know yourself, with a focus on the importance and celebration of names. Activities such as self-portraits helped build self-esteem across students in the community, while providing an opportunity to recognize how important names are—the proper pronunciation of names and that every name has a story. to demonstrate empowerment— whether acting alone or acting in collection with others—to reduce the harm they recognize.

Resilience and Growth Mindset These pillars of wellbeing education within the school lead to the ultimate goal of developing resilience and a growth mindset within students. Research from the American Psychological Association has shown that children who participate in the types of evidence-based social- emotional learning (SEL) programs, such as Havergal’s Wellbeing Program, have better social skills, behaviour and attitudes, as well as academic achievement gains. 3 The current COVID-19 situation has been especially timely for helping to drive home a lot of these concepts. “It has been an exercise in being flexible and nimble in our responses as an entire community,” says McRae. “Returning to school within this pandemic has created an opportunity for growth for Faculty, Staff, students, families and parents because every day brings us new situations and we are constantly adapting to new information as an entire community.” A lot of what students learn at the school involves developing a fixed versus growth mindset and being open to seeing things in a new way, discovering the benefits of developing mindfulness and reflecting on how they react to stressful situations: are they defensive; do they avoid the situation; or do they acknowledge what’s happening, take accountability, develop a plan to change and move forward? Norberg says that in the Junior School, this skill may look like a student overcoming a very minor problem that they have, which their teacher will coach them on and help them learn that they are capable and able to solve the issue themselves. In the Middle School, it could be something more complex where the student might go to their Guidance Counsellor with a challenge they don’t think they can overcome. Their

Sentiments, like these created by Junior School students during Wellbeing Time, explore empowerment and support.

Guidance Counsellor will help them see that there are different ways that can approach the situation. With coaching and support, the student will be able to conquer the issue and feel empowered to take action, whether it be writing a note to a teacher, asking for an accommodation or discussing a problem. In the Senior School, teaching resilience becomes even more complex, but it’s done by being challenged and feeling success from those opportunities. Ultimately, some won’t be as successful as others and students have to adjust. “We give students the confidence that we know they are capable and can navigate these situations,” says Norberg, “but also that we are here to support them with the tools that they need to navigate through whatever they are facing.” At the core, says Norberg, is building a student’s toolkit so that they have the agency to identify their own needs and can access the strategies they know will support them.

2 UNICEF. “Talking to your kids about racism.” Accessed on November 23, 2020, via unicef.org/parenting/talking-to-your-kids-about-racism. 3 Weir, K. “Maximizing children’s resilience.” Accessed on November 23, 2020, via apa.org/monitor/2017/09/cover-resilience.

2021 EDITION • TORCH 19