All Are Welcome

We are committed to making Aberdeen Hall a safe, inclusive place.

She approached me with her pad and pencil in hand with the earnest eagerness of a Grade 6 student, I believe she was doing an article for her English class.

“Mr Oz”, she said, “what is the most important job of a school principal?”

I thought about it briefly before responding, “saying good morning to all the students.”

It seemed like a pretty off the cuff remark, we both giggled. However, on reflection, I believe strongly that there is an awful lot of truth at the foundation of that comment.

I say good morning.

I’m not alone of course. We all say good morning. By doing so not only do we greet our students, but we say, “welcome”.

Welcome to our community.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means lately. Certain words spring to mind; togetherness, likeminded-ness, inclusivity, acceptance, and fellowship. Unfortunately, sometimes the world seems to be filled with barriers to community.

I don’t need to list off examples, you can find them anytime you open a newspaper, scroll through Twitter, or switch on the television.

This isn’t new of course. We’ve long struggled to balance our desire to protect our own values and beliefs with the need to respect and understand the views of others. It is certainly not easy for anyone to navigate issues relating to topics like race, prejudice, gender, ableism, economic disparity, and religion. For students, adding in the pressures of adolescence can make these topics even more complicated. Moments of self-doubt, worries about looming future decisions, evolving social choices, and even academic pressure can leave students feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or sad.

Learning is impossible when you’re afraid. It also cannot occur when you are filled with anger and resentment. We don’t flourish when our environment is unsafe and threatening.

During these times, being part of a caring community can really help.

We are committed to making Aberdeen Hall a safe, inclusive place. A place where no one will feel threatened or alone. A place where we celebrate uniqueness. A place where we can all nurture and encourage one another; the best community possible. It is the core of what we do.

It is our foundation.

Together we can learn from the past, and we can see beyond some of the troubles in the world by building positive relationships one at a time.

That’s our foundation.

Our hallways and classrooms are opportunities to meet someone new. Our school is a place where we hold doors for one another, where teachers know their student’s names, where the student’s say, “hello” to the principal. It’s a place where we’ll ask, “how are you doing”, and where we’ll actually wait for the answer.

So, if you see me in the hallway, don’t be surprised if I shake your hand. Don’t be shocked if I high five you, or ask you a question. Most importantly, don’t be astounded if I say, “good morning.”

Because at Aberdeen Hall, all are welcome.

Article by Grant Ozechowsky High School Principal and Deputy Head

CASEY TURNPENNY AND LAURA HAZELDINE