PLURAL COMMONS An environment where each person’s whole Self is welcomed, cared for, and seen as essential to the common good.
Digest / Fall 2021
A publication of Greenhill School
CONTENTS
0 4 . @PLURALCOMMONS WITH DR. INGRAM Welcome letter from Equity & Inclusion Director Dr. Marcus R. Ingram
0 5 . IT’S OFFICIAL! Celebrating the official launch of Plural Commons
0 6 . A FORCE FOR GOOD: GREENHILL’S STUDENT INCLUSION COUNCIL Learn more about the 10-member Greenhill Student Inclusion Council
0 8 . A DIWALI REFLECTION Reflection on Greenhill’s Diwali celebrations by parent Priya Venkat
0 9 . OF SERVICE Highlighting the work of Director of Service Learning & Community Service Angela Woodson and the Parents’ Association Service Chairs
1 0 . WHO’S WHO?! Meet the new Parents Association Equity & Inclusion Liaisons Alana Taylor and Jonathan Welsh
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HISTORICALLY SPEAKING Upper School History Department Chair & Teacher Dr. Amy Bresie ’96 reflects on engaging in intellectual discussions with colleagues and students that have differing perspectives
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INCLUSION SIMILES & BELONGING METAPHORS Recurring column devoted to describing inclusion and belonging with similes or metaphors; this installment is offered by Upper School English Teacher and Assistant Director of Equity & Inclusion Monsie Munoz ’05 and is called La Mesa de Mi Abuelita
@PLURALCOMMONS WITH DR. INGRAM Friends: It is my pleasure to greet you in this inaugural edition of the Plural Commons Digest. In each installment, you will find content that highlights and advances our approach to building and sustaining inclusive community at Greenhill. This issue includes introductions to the members of the Student Inclusion Council and the P.A. Liaisons, as well as a celebration of Diwali and reflections from faculty members Dr. Amy Bresie ’96 and Monsie Munoz ’05. My deepest thanks to our contributors. As we start our Plural Commons journey together, I am reminded of my formal comments to the employee community during Orientation 2021 – enjoy them (below), and this edition. Best regards, Dr. Ingram
There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
We are multiple inside.” Peggy McIntosh
Audre Lorde
When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them.” Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray
Our world is messy and complicated and brimming with broken places because it is populated by us humans who are also messy and complicated and brimming with broken places. And if you look again, perhaps with the eye of a toddler teacher, you may see art and beauty unfolding. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, there is an image of what some may perceive to be a haphazardly painted circle, yet it is anything but. This round creation is called “Enso,” and it simultaneously represents everything and nothing, fullness and emptiness, presence and absence. It’s like looking
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at naked branches in winter and failing to see spring inside, or seeing the sheet of paper in our hand and missing the sun and the forest. If we seek to have and enjoy authentic, inclusive community, we cannot simply see what is (t)here; we must see more. At the moment when I am ready to draw my circle around what I believe I know, “Enso” and priest-lawyer Pauli Murray reminds that I might be able to draw a larger circle. Plural Commons is about drawing the larger circle. May we draw generously, genuinely, and courageously.
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IT’S OFFICIAL!
On September 28, 2021, Greenhill School officially launched Plural Commons – its fresh approach to building and sustaining inclusive community. The launch event featured a panel on “The Art of Listening,” which explored the relationship between listening and community. Greenhill students and faculty were joined by Board Chair Augusto Sasso and Zen Buddhist Teacher Dr. Ruben Habito of SMU. In multiple ways, they challenged listeners to resist the trappings of the sound bite and the divisive in exchange for a generous curiosity, especially about that which or those whom we know less well.
each of us in all our complexity to consider what’s possible when we make space for all of us to contribute to a common, likely greater good.
With an emphasis on cultivating trusted relationships and openness to the worthy surprises that often characterize that journey, Plural Commons invites
Bookmark the Plural Commons website as a way to stay engaged. There now, you can experience our Plural Commons launch event.
If you have a minute, enjoy the Plural Commons animated video short. Should you have three minutes, take a look at the Plural Commons one-pager. For those who would like to learn about the philosophy of Plural Commons, engage it here. And, if you desire to know what the practice of Plural Commons will look like in our community, have a look at the Plural Commons Ventures.
“The Art of Listening” event panel (left to right): Greenhill Board Chair Augusto Sasso, SMU Professor & Zen Teacher Dr. Ruben Habito, Second Grade Teacher Margo Hall, Ella Dzialowski ’22, and Kendall Johnson ’26.
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Student Inclusion Council members (in grade level order): Icis Barrientos ’22 Sydney Kahn ’22 Khushi Chhaya ’23 Aaron Johnson ’23 Madison Rojas ’23 Gabriel Rudelman ’23 Reyna Diamond ’24 Sanjna Kalisetty ’24 JJ Arbuckle ’25 Gigi Melucci ’25
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To get a sense of who the Student Inclusion Council is, click here to have a listen to the music that drives them.
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A FORCE FOR GOOD: INTRODUCING THE STUDENT INCLUSION COUNCIL
Ten extraordinary students gather biweekly in a corner of the Upper School to make meaningful change for their peers. Together, they commit to deep listening in their role as student equity officers, and to provide new perspectives in the service of problem solving. These students discern the needs of their community and commit to action that will help students feel a strong sense of belonging at Greenhill. In their initial months of school, the Student Inclusion Council (SIC) has worked to establish a foundation for their road ahead through group norm setting and relationship building. The Council spans all grades in the Upper School, and they have carefully determined what they expect of themselves and of one other: authenticity, compassion, and a willingness to learn. They are nearing the end of the process of choosing their headline initiatives for the year, which includes assessing proposals submitted by the broader community. In the coming weeks, the SIC will begin to draw plans to see this set of initiatives come to life.
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Members of the council were asked to choose one word to describe themselves, revealing a remarkable list of superpowers: • Engaged • Dedicated • Driven • Diligent • Learning • Outgoing • Proactive • Positive • Reliable • Welcoming Combined, these students and their qualities present themselves as a compelling force in the Upper School.
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A DIWALI REFLECTION Priya Venkat Parent, ’23
As our classrooms at Greenhill become more diverse, it is important to find ways to include a multitude of cultures and customs in the classroom. When we celebrate a festival, we celebrate the whole community. As a parent, I feel it’s important to acknowledge and support my kids’ Indian culture and heritage among their peers. For those who may be unfamiliar with Diwali, this Festival of Lights is celebrated by more than a billion people all over the world. Celebrating Diwali at Greenhill is such a great benefit to students as they are able to learn about diverse cultures and traditions from all over the world. I see my kids’ eyes glow with pride every year when they roam Greenhill’s halls and see their peers enjoying the same decorations and celebrations that they grew up with. I see joy and confidence in them. They feel supported and accepted. It is something we look forward to every year.
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OF SERVICE In March 2021, Angela Woodson, Director of Service Learning and Community Service, collaborated with the Office of Equity & Inclusion to craft a month of service for the Greenhill community. The spirit of that partnership endures as both Offices seek to inspire a posture of service amongst students, staff, and families. This school year, the long-standing relationship with Austin Street Center is a point of focus. In October 2021, members of the Greenhill community supported the Center at its annual philanthropy luncheon. The Parents’ Association service liaisons are seeking to enhance our contributions to Austin Street Center’s work to provide safe shelter and meet basic needs of the vulnerable amongst us. Be enlightened and encouraged by the reflections that follow from Angela and our PA Service Liaisons Beena Momin and Melanie Silberman.
From our Director of Service Learning and Community Service What are the differences and connections between service and service learning? Service learning is a more student-centered approach than other forms of community service, such as volunteering. Most kinds of community service solely focus on doing something for the community without any attention on the learning of the person providing the service. In service learning, there is an additional focus on the student experience by providing education about the issue and challenges the service addresses along the way. What do you think is most misunderstood about your work with communities? Oftentimes, it is assumed that work with communities is separate from the academic experience and should be done in isolation. Meaningful service should be linked to curriculum, involve student voice, partnership, and reflection. To this end, service learning can enhance student leadership, decision making, communication skills, relationship skills, sense of belonging, responsibility, and dependability.
From our PA Service Liaisons The Parents’ Association is dedicated to fostering greater community and community involvement. Our current partnership with the Austin Street Center will grow this year as they undertake one of their biggest goals of establishing a brand-new facility in 2022. We will be partnering with them to raise donations for their laundry room supply drive. We will create content in collaboration with The Austin Street team to educate our kids on the necessity of laundry at a homeless shelter. This content will be distributed via community meetings in efforts to collect donations for their new laundry facility. We will invite all of our students from PK to 12 to collect donations and participate in various aspects of the donation drive. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our partnership with The Austin Street Center. Stay tuned for more information!
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WHO’S WHO?! To support the success of Plural Commons, the Office of Equity & Inclusion has created three advisory councils that represent the various constituencies of our School community. The Student and Employee Inclusion Councils are complemented by an 8-person Family Inclusion Council that has parents/ guardians from each academic division, representatives from the Board, and liaisons from the Parents’ Association (PA). Our PA Equity & Inclusion Liaisons are Alana Taylor and Jonathan Welsh. Alana and Jonathan will serve as advisors to the Office of Equity & Inclusion and the Parents’ Association as we endeavor to make our family experience as inclusive as possible. To this end, you are welcome to share your ideas with them at inclusionpa@greenhill.org. In the meantime, get to know Alana and Jonathan better below.
PA Equity & Inclusion Liaisons: Alana Taylor Jonathan Welsh
What do you find most remarkable about being a Greenhill Parent? JW: The overall openness and level of caring that exists throughout the community is what I find to be the most remarkable thing about Greenhill. AT: One of the things I have found remarkable about being a Greenhill Parent is the various opportunities we are presented with to partner with our daughter, other families, her teachers, and the administration. The community and camaraderie is unique and one of the things I appreciate about the school.
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As you consider the world your child/ren will inherit, what in the Greenhill experience takes on new levels of importance? AT: Greenhill’s promotion of self-advocacy and critical thinking skills continue to be of vital importance. Prior to our joining the Greenhill family these are things that I always found to be exceptional strengths in the children of various acquaintances that graduated from the school. As I consider the world today, I am grateful for the opportunities that my child is given, affording the continuing development of these skills. JW: The ability to remain flexible while being open to areas of improvement is an aspect of the Greenhill experience that will be vital for my child’s growth and success.
How do you hope your leadership will influence inclusion in our parent/guardian community? AT: I hope my involvement will help to promote pathways for everyone in the community to find a “voice” that is heard on some level. Everyone’s experience is different. Finding ways to constructively hear, respect, acknowledge, and appreciate these differences will ultimately make us a stronger community. JW: My goal is to show how the value of various perspectives can benefit the community.
What is the question you wish others would ask you? JW: What motivates you and how have these factors evolved over time?
What inspires you about Greenhill? JW: I am inspired by Greenhill’s willingness to allow true self development amongst the student population. AT:The school’s diversity. Our differences empower us to learn, respect, and accept our shared commonalities. Through this the Greenhill Community allows for the development of deeper relationships and the opportunity for everyone to take part in whatever way they are most comfortable. That’s not something you find everywhere, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
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AT: What’s your favorite constellation? Kidding - I honestly don’t really have a specific question. If someone is truly interested, I would welcome something unexpected or out of the ordinary that goes beyond asking the typical “what are your interests and hobbies.”
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Community Spotlight:
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING Dr. Amy Bresie ’96 Upper School History Department Chair & Teacher
Whenever fellow History Teacher Scott Cotton pops his head over my cubicle and asks if I have a second, I’ve learned to put on my mental armor because what’s coming next will be a fearsome intellectual battle. Over the past few years, Scott has been pulling me into his classroom to debate pressing historical issues with both him and his students. I never know what I am going to walk into, but some of our debates have included such thorny issues as Should the United States have entered WWI? What was the lasting legacy of Reconstruction? Was the Progressive Era actually progressive? These conversations don’t just stop in the classroom. Our disagreement over Americans in WWI—Mr. Cotton believes the US should have remained isolated from the conflict to avoid the massive loss of life seen at battles such as Verdun, while I argue that Wilson’s desire to have the U.S. become a player on the international scene made American presence on the battlefield a necessity—lasted most of an afternoon and pulled in multiple students and teachers. While the two of us firmly believe the issues matter, what is perhaps more important for the students is to see that two adults can have a constructive debate grounded in facts and
evidence. They watch us take different positions while still acknowledging when the other person makes a valid point. Moreover, they also take away that history is not a singular narrative. Historians disagree. Often. And loudly. History is not a laundry list of people, places, and events. It is not the story of a march towards “progress.” What the Greenhill History Department tries to teach is that history is an argument about the past. The best historical studies embrace multiple perspectives. Today historians actively search out the voices of people who have been previously silent in order to complicate our understanding of the past. They try to challenge traditional narratives in favor of richer, more vigorous debates. These discussions are more important now than ever. I heard a joke on HistoryTwitter that 50 years from now at academic conferences, instead of asking what century historians study, they will be asked what quarter of 2020 they specialize in. Will they look at the global pandemic? The national reckoning following the murder of George Floyd? The economic and labor crisis? We are living in an age that historians will be dissecting for hundreds of years. I hope that when future historians debate this tumultuous period in their classrooms that they will go beyond the numbers of sick people or vaccine vials and will look at the stories of people who lived through unprecedented times to understand what life looked like behind our masks.
Need picture? History class discussion
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Inclusion Similes & Belonging Metaphors:
LA MESA DE MI ABUELITA Monsie Munoz ’05 Upper School English Teacher Assistant Director of Equity & Inclusion nourishment for my soul; a sense of feeling seen, heard, and included. There was always room and always time. “Hola mija! Cómo éstas? Siéntate para que te comas un taco.” / “Hi honey, how are you? Come sit down and have a snack.”
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This was, without fail, the greeting from mi Abuelita Cata when I came through the door of her house. I often say that food is my love language, and I know a great deal of that comes from having a mom that loves and grandma that loved cooking and sharing their delicious food with everyone. If you walk into either woman’s home, you are going to, at the very least, have a snack -maybe even a full meal- and you are going home with something para al rato (for later).
When I think about the work that we do to create a sense of belonging in our community, I dream of creating a space in which everyone is welcomed and offered a seat at the table. A space that, like la mesa de mi abuelita, extends an open invitation to join in and partake in relationship building that nourishes the soul. Can we expect to host conversations that span the range of emotions from joy and happiness to anger and fear? Absolutely. Will there be moments when we need to walk away to protect a relationship? Undoubtedly. Are there days when we will not be able to host to preserve our own strength and resolve? Yes.
The food is always served at la mesa del comedor (dining table), where families and friends come together to eat, chat, quarrel, cry, and sometimes even to pray. “Ven a la mesa y siéntate!” / “Come, join us at the table!” The plate is served, the seat is offered, and the conversation unfolds. Once seated at that round table, one could easily see that nourishing the body was el entremés (appetizer). That table offered me
And yet, creating a sense of belonging will require that we, whomever that may be, have conversations at that table time and again. Not at the expense of, but in order to build relationships. Especially when we think of our role as a school- a place of exploration, growth, mistakes, and joy- we must keep coming back to the table to ensure that we can be the inclusive place we claim to be for our community.
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