Fern Equity Committee Update – June 2025

Thank-You, Change-Makers!

These last two months of the school year have been packed for the Fern Equity Committee! From our Community Builders workshop to Pride Festivities, we’re making positive change at Fern.

Last week’s Pride celebration featured amazing performances and a GSOWA (Gay-Straight-Or-Whatever-Alliance) parade---Fern students and parents SHOWED UP! The rainbow sea of kids on the field was a sight to see—stay tuned for our group drone pic coming soon! A massive TY to Rachel Muehler, Justin Ruttan (host extraordinaire), GSOWA, performers, and parent volunteers who helped put Fern Pride on the neighbourhood map!

✨ Belonging Begins With Us ✨

Equity and inclusion aren’t slogans—they’re daily habits. As summer begins, keep the conversation going!

Bullying isn’t always loud or obvious. It can look like exclusion, teasing, gossip, or making someone feel “less than” because of their race, class, culture, gender, neurodivergence, disability, religion, or family makeup. It’s any behaviour—physical, verbal, or social—that isolates or harms another child. And often, it starts with difference.

So how do we talk to our kids about bullying & allyship?

• Ask open-ended questions like: “Have you seen anyone being left out?” or “What would you do if a friend was being teased?”

• Teach them the difference between conflict (a disagreement between equals) and bullying (targeted, repeated harm)

• Encourage them to speak up—not just for themselves, but as allies for others

• Most importantly: model allyship and inclusion in your own life

Because here’s the truth: our kids are watching us.

When we model equity, respect, and community care, our children learn not just how not to bully—but how to build something better. A culture of belonging.

If we, as adults, exclude or judge other families—because they look different, love differently, speak another language, or can’t always show up the same way—our children absorb that. This is called othering, and it can be just as harmful in the adult world as it is in the schoolyard. It’s our small, everyday choices—inviting someone new to play, greeting families by name, respecting differences—that all stack up. Fern is a beautifully diverse community. Let’s honour that, not just in our classrooms, but on the playground, in our conversations, and in how we treat one another.

Stay Connected

Want to help deepen inclusion at Fern? Email equitablefern@gmail.com or join a Parents Committee Meeting. Your presence matters.

See You in September

May your summer be full of wide-open skies, big laughs, and the kind of kindness that echoes well past the playground. Rest up, stay curious, welcome new faces—and come back ready to keep building the Fern we all believe in.

Have a bright, safe, and joyful summer!

— Fern Equity Committee