Equity and Inclusion
A message from Shanelle Henry, Director of Equity and Inclusion
I am so excited to be a member of this community! I feel privileged to work in a PreK–12 educational environment where our students are urged to explore their place in — and potential impact on — the world. Our mission calls upon us to prepare students for a life of purpose. This can (and should) be defined in many different ways, and that compels us to continue to do no less than our very best to maintain our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community that values the identities, perspectives, and experiences of all its members. Our motto, “Each For All,” demands nothing less.
One of the most critical elements of equity work in schools is strong and courageous leadership. The charge of shepherding a school’s equity and inclusion efforts is both complex and rewarding. It is my aim to ensure that all constituencies on campus, from our youngest learners to our most tenured faculty and staff, have an opportunity to be part of the voice and structure of what makes GFA unique. GFA is home to thousands of stories, and those stories — and the voices that tell them — make us strong.
We are writing the next chapter of what it means to be Greens Farms Academy.
Each for All.
Shanelle Henry,
Director of Equity and Inclusion
Equity and Inclusion at GFA
- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
- STUDENT CLUBS AND PROGRAMS
- FACULTY AND STAFF
- School-wide
- FAMILY SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT
- ADMISSIONS, HIRING AND OUTREACH
- INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
- Resources for Families, Faculty, and Students
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
STUDENT CLUBS AND PROGRAMS
FACULTY AND STAFF
School-wide
FAMILY SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT
ADMISSIONS, HIRING AND OUTREACH
INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Resources for Families, Faculty, and Students
Recommended Reading
Director of Equity and Inclusion Shanelle Henry invited the GFA community to join her in reading The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias, an inspiring book by Dr. Dolly Chugh. Chugh is a Harvard-educated, award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, and also the parent of children who attend independent schools in NYC. While she is an expert in the unconscious biases and unethical behavior of “ordinary, good people,” she is also, admittedly, trying just as hard as everyone else to be the person she means to be.
Through the compelling stories she shares in the book, and her research findings in unconscious bias, as well as work across psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and other disciplines, Chugh offers us practical tools to respectfully and effectively talk politics with family, to be a better colleague (and teacher) to people who don’t look like you, and to avoid being a well-intentioned barrier to equality.
Throughout this school year, Henry will offer opportunities to engage in discussions about this book.
Equity & Inclusion Team
At Greens Farms Academy, we embrace, honor and affirm all members of our school community across race, age, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, family composition, ability/disability, learning styles, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and other characteristics that construct our unique identities. We seek to ensure that all aspects of school life — including curriculum, admission, retention, hiring practices, and support for students, families, and employees — reflect our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Jennifer Ferreira
Lower School
Ben Gott
Middle School
Chris Meatto
Upper School
Michaela Pembroke
Upper School
Each for All
GFA’s commitment to building and nurturing an inclusive community is core to our mission. We believe:
- a diverse faculty, staff, and student body benefits and enriches all members of our community and is critical to meeting our educational aim of preparing students for their futures;
- our curriculum and co-curricular program must teach our students global competency and to espouse the habits, skills, and attitudes necessary to live and thrive in a multicultural and interconnected world;
- our community must be a place where all voices are heard, respected, and valued.
Listen to GFA Director of Equity and Inclusion Shanelle Henry discussing the Day After Election Guide on the podcast Third Space with Jen Cort:
Coyle Scholar: Julie Lythcott-Haims
In Our Own Words
Science Department Chair Jim Serach examines his upbringing with regard to attitudes about race. Click below to hear his Friday Speaker talk about his personal mission to become "woke."
In lieu of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations on campus, Middle School History and Mandarin teacher Tina Zhang gave the following lesson on the traditions and history behind the holiday.
By Ronaldo John
Faculty, World Languages
"I’ve had to break many barriers in an effort to connect and to make the best experiences for myself. Today I stand before you all ... hoping that I will inspire you all to embark upon this journey with me, to remove yourself from your comfort zone, to embrace the feeling of discomfort and use it as a steppingstone to engage in thoughtful conversations with your classmates, friends, and colleagues, black and white alike.”
By Ben Gott
MS English, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator
Traditionally, the third week in January has provided an opportunity for GFA students, faculty, and staff to come together as a community to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, the reality of COVID-19 meant that such large gatherings would be impossible this year—so the GFA Equity & Inclusion team decided to completely reinvent and reimagine our program for 2021.
In honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students and faculty across all divisions took to virtual assemblies to honor his work through the themes of activism and empathy.
Kindergarten teacher Katie Mack and third-grade teacher Jennifer Ferreira
helped continue the conversation about identity in their classes, helping students better understand the Martin Luther King Day holiday, defining words including equal, fair, equity, race, racism, and advocate.
By Katherine Stidolph '21
LiveGirl is a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization that builds confident leaders who embrace diversity. Their mission is to empower and equip the next generation of brave, inclusive leaders with the skills, community, and connections so that ALL girls may thrive and make a positive impact on the world. This conversation series has been thoughtfully designed to engage students and their parents in racial justice advocacy.
GFA senior Katysha Sorokin will be co-facilitating a workshop on the importance of allyship at the fourth annual Saturday Summit on Social Justice (SSSJ), to take place virtually Saturday, November 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Miss watching GFA Voices live? Watch the full virtual event below including performances and presentations from students across all three divisions, faculty, and alumni.
By Ben Gott
MS English, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator
My friend and colleague in the Middle School, Kathleen Nicholson, often talks about the fact that she refers to herself as a “middle school teacher,” not a “science teacher.” Though we all consider our subject matter to be an important part of the work we do each day, Middle School teachers often find ourselves engaging with students’ joys, concerns, problems, and successes as much as we find ourselves teaching them math, science, or English.
By Jenifer Bonilla ’22
Equity and inclusion, at this moment in time, is a topic that I would say is difficult to shy away from since it has become something integral to many people worldwide. During this time, I’ve come to realize the power of social media, and the strength of learning from one another.
By Shanelle Henry
Director of Equity and Inclusion
Eventually, the noise surrounding the heinous killings of George Floyd and others will subside; we will have a medical response to COVID-19; the unrest will cease, and life will resume back to normal. However, I don’t want to return to normal.
By Giavanna Bravo-Ibanez ’21
I boast about my 23andMe results. As we can assume, I am 100% Giavanna Bravo, yet seeing the bursts of color, representing the origins of my DNA on five continents has forced me to see my identity in a new light.
By Ben Gott
MS English, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator
Our commitment to equity and inclusion at GFA is not just about understanding what our students are going through today and what they will go through tomorrow. It must also involve an honest, complete reckoning of the ways in which our institution, and so many institutions like ours, worked against equity and inclusion in the past.
By Michael Pina
Director of College Guidance
“When they go low, we go high…”
When Michelle Obama unleashed these words during a 2016 election speech, it was a novel phrase that either endured or rang hollow, depending on which candidate or party people supported. It wasn’t new terminology, but rather a reminder of how my parents told me how to deal with racism from a young age.
By Bob Whelan
Head of School
Over the last month, we have witnessed yet again how the nation’s long legacy of racism continues to damage and destroy the lives of Black and Brown people. We also have witnessed a vital and impassioned national conversation about inequality, racism, and the notable absence of a just and fair society for all.
By Shanelle Henry
Director of Equity and Inclusion
On June 19, in honor and recognition of the history of Juneteenth, I extended an invitation to Black alumni to gather in affinity and amplify their voices and concerns as Black alumni of GFA. The conversation was raw, painful, and revealed deep and long-held wounds. Paraphrasing Dr. King’s question (above), I asked the group: “What is it that GFA has failed to hear?”
By Shanelle Henry
Director of Equity & Inclusion
Not surprisingly, in recent weeks, the most common question I have been asked is, "How are you?" The second most common question has been, "What can I do?" I am always grateful to those who actively seek to do the hard internal work of becoming critically race-conscious.
This week Director of Equity and Inclusion Shanelle Henry, and the Equity Inclusion Coordinators Ben Gott, Melanie Haas, and Michaela Pembroke created an online space for the community to come together for “Reflection and Unity.”
By Bob Whelan
Head of School
As the events of the last few days, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have been unfolding in the news, I keep thinking about the impact they are having on our kids. I've been thinking about our black students and our students of color, their families, my colleagues of color, their loved ones, and how this must feel. I'm thinking about our white students and their families, and what they are thinking as they seek to make meaning of this as they consider race, injustice, and their place in the world.