This summer Faculty and Staff were hard at work, serving on different committees focused on enriching Greene Street Friends students’ experiences. Each committee was comprised of a cross section of teachers from Lower and Middle Schools, bringing unique perspectives to each study. Each committee determined its own goals and used feedback from Faculty, Staff, and students to update the GSFS curriculum.

Julia, Laura, Josh, Lehla, and Erica focused on Middle School Affinity Groups. Started last year, affinity groups provided Middle Schoolers space to discuss their intersecting identities with peers and hear one another’s experiences. The committee set out to evaluate and reflect on the program’s first year, identify ways to incorporate 5th and 6th Grade students in racial identity work, and write a new curriculum to be used for 5th-8th Grade affinity groups. Affinity groups will investigate topics like: exploring identity development, racial vocabulary and myths, privilege, stereotype, allyship and responses to racism, microaggressions, systematic racism, and intersectionality.

Josh, Kiri, Art, Kim, and Amira dug into Middle School Study Skills. They hoped to find new ways to support students by providing study resources to students, families, teachers and create a small group curriculum. The committee utilized resources like “Big 9 Study Skills” (planning, organization, time-management, metacognition, attention, task initiation, self-advocacy, initiative, and resilience.) The committee also recommended teachers provide families a list of study skills via the handbook and emails.

The Future Vision Committee (Raven, Kathie, Maggie, Josh, Becky) focused on visioning into life at GSFS in five years. The committee considered strategic ways that the new, multi-purpose building could be used to provide more program opportunities. The committee also explored ways to increase GSFS visibility, professional networking capability, and other ways to support Greene Street Friends’ community members.

The Future Ready Learning Committee (Julia, Avery, Josh, Anna) explored how to develop student skills necessary to face a changing world’s challenges. Future ready learning encourages students to collect information, synthesize it, and re-make it their own. Students are invited to use their own diverse learning styles and backgrounds to approach subjects. The Committee will continue to work throughout the year, sharing resources with teachers on future ready learning, updating curricula, and expanding future ready learning throughout the entire school.

G-SAFE (Gender and Sexuality Alliance for Everyone) targeted how to continue supporting students exploring gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and allyship. In the group’s first year, G-SAFE’s bi-weekly meetings were open to all Middle School students, they coordinated a Day of Silence, and solicited student feedback about the group’s work. The group will continue their work in the 2017-2018 academic year by increasing competency around gender and sexuality, normalizing conversations about gender identity, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.

Stay tuned to see how each committee’s work expands in the upcoming year.