Ubuntu

5/31/2023

Doc Rivers is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers and a Professional Coaching Alliance National Advisory Board member. Throughout his very successful coaching career, Rivers's approach has been based on the concept of ubuntu, an African philosophy which can be roughly translated as “I am because we are” or "I can't be all I can be unless you can be all you can be." He attributes the success of many of his teams to this way of being; after Rivers coached the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship, the team even had the word “Ubuntu” engraved on their rings. Encouraging his players to take on this collective approach has allowed Rivers to coach the team as a whole, rather than individuals on the team.

Rivers believes that if something is good for the team, then it is good – and that belief has really resonated with me this year. We become the best version of Greenwood that we can be when we support those around us to be their very best selves. I feel so fortunate to work with world-class colleagues, students and parents and guardians who believe in Greenwood’s mission and values – we are all working towards a shared goal.

When Greenwood is successful, we are all successful. The school’s reputation for academic excellence and commitment to character building is consolidated year after year. Our graduates go on to pursue their passions, attending outstanding postsecondary institutions, and our staff and students become better versions of themselves each day and play a part in making our community a better place.

At Monday’s assembly, I spoke to students about how this year has been a journey of learning for all of us, and as long as we continue to learn and grow, we can consider it a success. As they complete their final evaluations, I encouraged students to put efforts into their preparations and to seek help and support from others. After several years of disrupted final evaluations, getting back to the first round of fulsome final evaluations since before the pandemic is a big learning curve. Particularly since they were at a different stage of school life prior to the pandemic (Grades 7-8 vs Grades 11-12 is quite a leap). Learning will be consolidated through the final evaluations and then it will be time for our year-end celebrations. I look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks at these events and celebrating both individual accomplishments and what we have achieved together this year.

Back

Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811

We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.