Plural Commons Digest, Spring 2022

PLURAL COMMONS An environment where each person’s whole Self is welcomed, cared for, and seen as essential to the common good.

Digest / Spring 2022

A publication of Greenhill School

CONTENTS

0 4 . @PLURALCOMMONS WITH DR. INGRAM Welcome letter from Head of Equity & Inclusion Dr. Marcus R. Ingram.

0 5 . CONGRATULATIONS, MADISON! Celebrating the inaugural City of Dallas Youth Poet Laureate.

0 6 . FROM INGREDIENTS TO RECIPE Defining what it means to be committed to equity and inclusion at Greenhill School.

0 8 . RETURN TO THE GLOBAL Parent organizer Niki Patel and Head of Lower School Michael Simpson reflect on the return of Greenhill Goes Global.

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A SENIOR PERSPECTIVE Excerpts from senior speeches that have been delivered over the 2021-2022 school year.

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HARMONIZING ON THE HILL Saara Bidiwala ’22 and Ahmed Agha ’23 reflect on hosting interfaith gatherings for Upper School students.

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A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH DATA An overview of the comprehensive inclusion self-study that will set a baseline for understanding belonging in the Greenhill community.

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A VIEW FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Highlighting letters written by Middle School students to an author of a book that has impacted, changed, or affirmed an aspect of their life.

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IMAGES @ PLURAL COMMONS A selection of photos that capture Plural Commons in action in the Greenhill community.

@PLURALCOMMONS WITH DR. INGRAM

Friends: On April 13, 2022, Head of School Lee J. Hark and I had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with Pedro Noguera and Rick Hess, authors of A Search for Common Ground (click here to watch the recording, password: PluralCommons2022) In our hour together, these lifelong educators modeled the healthy discourse they captured in their book of letters to each other. With nods to trust, respect, and listening for understanding, their dialogue and relationship embody the spirit of Plural Commons. Their original hope for their book – to inspire the ability to see differences of viewpoint as constructive – is at the core of our approach to inclusive community.

Throughout this edition of the Plural Commons Digest, the plurality of perspective is on display. From student pieces to institutional messages, the many voices in this issue are distinctive. And, if you experience them in full, you may notice that they don’t compete. Rather, it is their differences that complement and strengthen the publication. May this edition remind us that being together does not require a diminished Self; in fact, the most meaningful relationships request the opposite. This is the journey toward Plural Commons. Let us go well.

Best, Dr. Marcus R. Ingram Head of Equity & Inclusion

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DIGEST

CONGRATULATIONS, MADISON! The City of Dallas has its inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, and she is Madison Rojas ’23.

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Mayor Eric Johnson ’94 recognized Madison and her ability to inspire current and future poets (of all ages). We are pleased to share one of Madison’s poems in this edition of the Digest.

THEY TELL US

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that the Nazi’s are the enemy when they get our fathers and brothers on the battle fields turning it brown and then staining it red

they teach us to hate a country called Vietnam. show them on the news, boys who look like my cousins

we get white men whose names we can’t pronounce on our doorstep and I hold Mami up as they ask her if she’s Mrs. Mendoza

Alan and Andres and Marco. our brothers get herded into UH-1 Huey’s like cattle on the way to a slaughterhouse

She faints

David Guerrero is killed while his mom prays the rosary

Papi didn’t die in Normandy he died in a camp. filled his lungs with kerosene fumes doused his clothes with chemicals stripped him of his medallas and dignity until all that was left was a trembling brown body he didn’t die in Poland but in El Paso

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David Guerrero

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FROM INGREDIENTS TO RECIPE

In a world full of jargon, similes can be useful, I invite you to think about diversity as ingredients and inclusion like a recipe; the former idea centers on representation while the latter foregrounds engagement. If we are considering life with one another, diversity in a community does not guarantee inclusion.

In fact, inclusive community is much more difficult when the people and parts that make it up are more diverse. Welcome to Greenhill School.

On March 28, 2022, the Greenhill School Board of Trustees unanimously approved an institutional statement that publicly shifts our strategic focus from diversity to inclusion. Our Statement on Diversity (click here to read it) has now become prologue

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to Greenhill School’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion. We honor that representation matters. And, we acknowledge that our current work must leverage difference as an asset that enriches the Greenhill experience.

In essence, we must craft and use Greenhill’s recipe for inclusive community.

Ahead, Greenhill School’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion will be promoted alongside our mission, vision, and core values. Together, this set of messages frames the identity of the School for current and prospective students, families, and employees. Thank you to our Board for their leadership and commitment in endorsing a statement that amplifies the purpose of our School.

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N EWSLETTER

Greenhill School’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion Greenhill School affirms that a diverse and inclusive community built upon authentic relationships inspires discovery and consequential learning. Our belief in inclusion motivates us to seek meaningful engagement with the different identities, experiences, and worldviews that are represented in and beyond our School. We believe that the route to inclusive community is equity – all of us creating the conditions where each has what they need to participate fully in the life of the School and has the opportunity to reach their deepest potential.

For Greenhill students, our commitment to equity and inclusion sets them on a path to engage respectfully and purposefully as local and global citizens.

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RETURN TO THE GLOBAL It has been three years since the annual tradition Greenhill Goes Global has featured in our community calendar. On April 1, 2022, Cox Gymnasium became an international crossroads as Greenhill families constructed booths to represent their countries and cultures of origin.

This year’s theme centered on the fine arts, and learning experiences with Lower School students introduced aspects of life and history for each national and/or cultural context.

Please enjoy a few reflections from one of the parent organizers, Niki Patel, and Head of Lower School Michael Simpson.

Describe the spirit of Greenhill Goes Global (GGG) in three words.

Niki Patel: Celebration, Creativity, Community.

Michael Simpson: Community, Pride, Learning.

What surprised you about GGG 2022?

MS: There are so many events we have missed in the last two years that it’s almost like with any event that returns people are thinking “oh, yay; it’s back.” But with GGG this year it was more like, “OH YAY. THIS AWESOME THING IS BACK!!!!!!”

NP: The energy and effort put forth by parent volunteers in planning and executing GGG 2022 was astounding. Everyone wanted to help out in whatever ways they could.

What do you hope our school community gained from GGG 2022?

NP: I hope it was a valuable learning experience and that the event increased our community’s awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultures that are represented at Greenhill.

MS: I hope that we see and know that there are people at Greenhill who come from so many different backgrounds. I hope that students make connections between cultures and see the common themes of humanity and living.

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A SENIOR PERSPECTIVE Each school year, the Upper School community hears from students in the graduating class about their Greenhill experience. Topics and themes vary, but consistently, each author exhibits courage by sharing their truth with their peers and their teachers.

As we honor the Greenhill School Class of 2022, peruse the following Senior Speech excerpts and consider reading each speech in full here.

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I’m not good at saying things directly and concisely, but what I really want to say is go down every single path that catches your eye…I don’t think I could put it better than Tyler the Creator who sums up my entire message in two bars: ‘Whatever your thing is, man, do it. / Whatever brings you that immense joy, do that, that’s your luxury.’”

- Ari Appel ’22

“Even when everything around us seems so absurd, we have control over how we treat others. It may be the singular thing we actually have control over.”

- Caroline Greenstone ’22

[At Greenhill], I rekindled my faith in Judaism, including its history and traditions, and even though it’s not as easy to be orthodox as when I went to Akiba [Academy] (my 38 excused absences from my classes this year will tell you that much), I feel so much more connected to Judaism than ever before. I’m proud of who I am and the person I have become.”

- Kayla Rutner ’22

Ever since I can remember, I have always been afraid of rejection and failure…I was afraid of losing…I used to think that if I don’t try, I can’t fail…I realized that my initial thought process was all wrong. Not trying doesn’t save you from failure. Not trying is a forfeit, and you are ultimately accepting the failure that you are working so hard to avoid.”

- Johrdyn Tarpeh ’22

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HARMONIZING ON THE HILL: AN INTERFAITH VENTURE Saara Bidiwala

Ahmed Agha

Class of 2022

Class of 2023

Plural Commons takes on a multitude of forms at Greenhill, though we may not see it. One may not think about the different perspectives brought to the table in a history or science classroom, but behind every answer, every opinion is a call to explore a similarity AND a difference within each member of our community.

This year marked the initiation of the monthly Interfaith Gatherings, bringing together members of the Muslim Student Association, Jewish Studies Club, Hindu Student Association, Christian Student Coalition, and NonReligious Student Association. The Interfaith Gatherings started as an idea from members of the Muslim Student Association leadership to come together after the events of the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel as well as offer a show of solidarity between these two groups in any instance of the oppression they face. One of the tenets of Islam is that it is our duty to love and care for our neighbors, regardless of their background or circumstances. These events were our way of performing our duty to live our lives with love and compassion, especially in times of division. In that first meeting, MSA and JSC presented the many similarities between Jewish and Islamic traditions, including fasting for holidays,

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wearing head coverings, dietary restrictions, and attention to prayer. Students also engaged in a directed discussion as well as fun activities such as Kahoot! games.

Plural Commons is “an environment where each person’s whole Self is welcomed, cared for, and seen as essential to the common good.” It’s at Interfaith Gatherings where people can discover others’ whole selves and perhaps even discover part of their own. Upper School’s Interfaith Gatherings are the prime example at Greenhill where students and faculty actively seek these discoveries through dialogue and build relationships that last throughout high school and beyond. Students were able to find that they have more in common with classmates they may not interact with often.

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A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH DATA

When Greenhill School launched Plural Commons (our approach to inclusive community), one of the associated ventures involved regularly collecting and analyzing data to inform decision making. One year ago, the Office of Equity & Inclusion began a comprehensive inclusion self-study to set a baseline for understanding belonging in our community and learn ways that we may be able to enhance it.

The mixed methods study included the survey of community constituencies – students, families, employees, alumni, and trustees – using the NAIS Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM), which was later complemented by focus groups and data-based questionnaires. The AIM survey was administered in April 2021, followed by qualitative engagement throughout this school year, finishing in early March 2022.

The self-study enjoyed participation from nearly 1,700 voices and has yielded 10 overarching findings and 26 associated recommendations. As the final report is being prepared for distribution, the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Team have had an advance opportunity to learn the findings and recommendations. Before the close of the school year, the Employee and Family Inclusion Councils will join the Head of Equity & Inclusion for conversations about the report, with an eye toward shaping engagement with the wider Greenhill community in the coming school year.

will focus on the most relevant findings for the constituency that is gathering. For example, the findings and recommendations that relate to how belonging is defined and measured in the employee community will primarily feature in sessions with employees.

Because our goal is a new relationship with data, public sessions about the study will use the research findings to determine how best to implement recommendations in our community. While our students, families, employees, and Board will have access to the full report, community sessions

Each recommendation will have a champion from the Senior Leadership Team who will guide us toward meaningful responses and offer progress reports.

Expect access to an electronic version of the report and invitations to engage in conversation from the start of next school year.

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INCLUSION SELF-STUDY QUICK FACTS Duration of the study

10 months

Number of Participants

1,659

Number of Real-Time Focus Groups (Participants)

7 (32)

Number of Asynchronous Focus Groups (Participants)

3 (253)

Number of Research Methods Used

3

Number of Overarching Findings

10

Number of Associated Recommendations

26

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A VIEW FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Every year, Greenhill Middle School students participate in a writing project called Letters About Literature. Students write letters to an author of a book that has impacted, changed, or affirmed an aspect of their life. Students reflect upon the windows and mirrors they see in the books and relate them to their own experiences. Ultimately, the letters are submitted to a contest judged by the Texas Librarians Association. Our Middle School teachers are very proud of how our students engage in a journey of questioning, reconsidering, and affirming their world views.

To pique your interest, take in these brief reflections from the students’ letters. For the full text of each letter, click here.

Your book taught me how words could completely change how one sees themselves, which taught me to speak more sensitively.”

As I continued to read, it surprised me that Soojin would want to change her name to be more ‘American.’”

- Charly

- Collin

…I deeply connected with Esperanza because of my own need to stay invisible.”

- Eli

My life is a book. My ancestors’ lives are the prequels, but I have never read them. I now seek to open those stories.”

- Ellie

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IMAGES @ PLURAL COMMONS

Rick Hess

Pedro Noguera

@PLURAL COMMONS: A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION On April 13, 2022, Head of School Lee J. Hark and Head of Equity & Inclusion Marcus Ingram hosted a conversation with Pedro Noguera and Rick Hess, authors of A Search for Common Ground. Hess and Noguera shared their journey in respectful discourse and emphasized the importance of the art of listening. (Click here to watch a recording of the conversation, password: PluralCommons2022)

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

The Family Inclusion Council hosted an event on Thursday, April 14 with Associate Head of School for Mission, Community, and Culture Tom Perryman ’81 and Associate Director of Equity & Inclusion Monsie Munoz ’05 to talk about the ways Greenhill School is continuing its efforts in fostering empathy and inclusion in line with the core values.

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PREKINDERGARTEN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

“At Greenhill School, we employ a project-based learning approach because it gives young children a voice in their learning by letting their interests guide our instruction. As a result, our students are more engaged and invested in the content of the learning.”

“Art is very important to young children. It gives them a way to let out their feelings and ideas. It helps them express themselves and pushes the boundaries of their imagination.”

- Reflections from Preschool teachers

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