By Arianna Sartor-McCordick, Orangeville District Secondary School
Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) is dedicated to inclusivity and support for all students by promoting diverse initiatives and spaces celebrating various identities. Diversity, equity and inclusion are important to staff and students in ODSS, and the Diverse Student Association (DSA) and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) prove it.
The DSA works to celebrate cultural diversity through weekly meetings and events that highlight various cultural backgrounds, showing the effort to exclude racism and include their students. Recent initiatives have included embracing celebrations like Holi, Diwali, and Lunar New Year. ODSS also created a permanent nondenominational prayer and meditation room, offering students a space for reflection and prayer during significant religious times.
“I think that any efforts that we make for students to be able to see themselves represented in the school that they attend have a positive impact,” states Leigha Turner, who runs the DSA “When students can help others see the importance of their beliefs and celebrations, I believe that we become a more tolerant and accepting community. It also can help us connect through our similarities.” She also states, "The school has helped to provide the space and resources to bring students together, to share, and to learn from one another.” Including students with various cultural backgrounds and celebrating diversity conbats racism, which the DSA works to do.
The support our school has shown the GSA illustrates how ODSS values their students.
The GSA is a student-led group that meets 5-6 times per semester to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity. “Our administration team (Mrs. Cook, Mr. Martin and Mr. Either) are incredibly supportive of GSA events and make an effort to be present for lunchtime events,” says Mrs. Doan, who runs the GSA. “I believe all students should have a space they feel welcomed into. I believe it is important to provide these spaces to students and my goal is to make it as fun as possible.”
Even though our Principal and Vice Principals (Mrs. Cook, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Either) are busy, the effort to be there for the GSA meetings and the support they have shown, proves just how dedicated our school is to ensure no student feels excluded. Anyone is welcome to come to the GSA meetings, whether you have a diverse gender/sexual orientation or not, as long as you are respectful and open-minded. ODSS makes an effort to support and understand their students, proven by the support and dedication they have shown the GSA.
Research from the National Library of Medicine shows that building an inclusive learning environment is extremely important for the students' success. Young children who have been bullied about their race, sexual orientation, sex/gender, disability, or religion were more likely to have poor mental health and develop depression, suicidal thoughts or attempts, low academics and substance use than young children who were bullied for non stigma-based reasons. Young children may experience vulnerable periods when they face discrimination and that will have a larger effect on their well-being than stigma-based bullying later in life. A non inclusive learning environment can affect the person experiencing discrimination by pulling apart their mental stability. That is why an inclusive learning environment is essential for the success of the students.
By promoting diverse initiatives and spaces celebrating various identities, Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) is dedicated to encouraging inclusivity and support for all students. Diversity, equity and inclusion are important to staff and students in ODSS, and the Diverse Student Association (DSA) and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) prove it.
