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"Choice Meeting for Worship" and Professional Development from the OIEJB

"Choice Meeting for Worship" and Professional Development from the OIEJB

During professional development time on Wednesday, December 11, The Office of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging (OIEJB) offered "Choice Meeting for Worship" as its latest all-faculty/staff engagement. Modeled after an Upper School initiative to provide different venues for Meeting for Worship during the Performing Arts Center construction, Choice MFW provided six options for participants to pair a time of reflection with a meditative activity:

1. Meeting for Worship with Shannon (US Learning Specialist)
2. Yoga with Anthony (US History Teacher)
3. Culture Quilt with Philip (LS 2nd Grade Teacher)
4. Music with Candice (US Dean of Student Life/Asst. Dir. of IEJB)
5. Walking Meditation with Claire (6-12 History Department Chair)
6. Values Affirmation Exercise with Hayes (Director of IEJB)

Each venue offered a query that participants could use to center themselves or to inform the conversation, and two of the offerings (from Philip and Hayes) allowed participants to experience some of the work that has been done in the Belonging PD Pathway. 

In the new calendar year, the OIEJB will continue to offer student-centered professional development for faculty and staff. After discussing how physical classroom spaces can contribute to students' sense of belonging in early January, a later engagement will discuss intervening when students use identity-targeting language in school. 

As we enter Winter Break, we wish everyone a restful and restorative time. If you will be celebrating between December 20 and January 6,  Happy Holidays! We are excited to continue engaging with the SSFS community in the new calendar year.