Through the Packer in Action 2020 theme, The Power of Words and Art of Listening, students, administrators, and staff spent a day reflecting on language, which can be inspiring and uplifting but also hurtful and damaging to relationships and community. The schoolwide event, executed by more than 40 student and adult volunteers, included assemblies, Chapel performances and talks, read alouds, story exchanges, workshops, cross-divisional activities, field trips, and more. 

One activity that was shared across divisions was the “One Word” project, in which participants chose a single word to describe themselves and then creatively presented it. Read on to discover the different activities that took place in each division. 
 

Preschool and Lower School

In the Preschool and Lower School, the day began with assemblies focused on how words impact others and how certain words can be used positively to make others feel accepted, appreciated, and celebrated. In the early afternoon, Lower and Middle School buddies came together to engage in activities that allowed them to share words that describe who they are as individuals and identify words that can celebrate and motivate others. Certain activities highlighted the concepts of “intent” versus “impact” and how words and phrases may have unintended impacts, depending on others’ ideas about themselves and their own life experiences.  
 
Our Preschool and Lower School students practiced active listening and reflected on the importance of listening carefully to others before forming impressions and expressing certain opinions and ideas. Throughout the day the themes of identity, friendship, connection, respect, and empathy were on full display, from the Pre-K Threes class all the way through Fourth Grade. 
 
 

Middle School 

In advisory groups, Middle School students spent time examining their "Inner Voices" — both supportive and critical. Through discussing, writing, and drawing, they developed friendlier alternatives to the internal critic, to encourage their own learning and growth. Next, they met with their Lower School buddies, helping the younger students with the “One Word” activity. 

In the Chapel, rapper Josh the Word and poet Cherrye Davis led students in an interactive workshop. They used songs about life experiences and challenges as a jumping off point for community-building and self reflection. 

In the afternoon, Eighth Graders led their Middle School Spirit Squads in the final activity of the day: “Words that Burn.” They wrote down hurtful words they had heard, followed by hurtful words they had said to others. In the Garden, they cast them into a metal container, and, with help from Director of Facilities Jimmy Dolan, ignited them and watched them turn to ash.

Upper School

In the Upper School, Packer in Action Day began with a Chapel Talk by Packer alumnus Khalid A. Taylor ’13. Next, each student participated in a workshop and a story exchange. The workshops, led mostly by students, addressed a range of topics, such as the words we use to talk about ourselves, mental health terminology, political rhetoric, the difference between race and ethnicity, and how language can perpetuate a culture of elitism. In the story exchange, participants were asked to tell several stories: a time in which someone supported them, a time when they used words that had a positive impact on someone else, their name and how it influences how they see themselves, and a time when someone’s words made them laugh so hard they cried. 

The afternoon consisted of more workshops as well as off-campus experiences. A small group of Upper School students helped the Kindergarten classes in the Early Learning Center complete the “One Word” activity. Additional workshops addressed topics including the Quaker approach to speaking and listening, the n-word, the male gaze and the Bechel test, and transforming academic work into social activism. Off-campus experiences included a trip to the Queens Museum to view “My Words — These Are the Tools I Trust,” a walk through the labyrinth at Marble Collegiate Church, and a visit to Brooklyn locations of iconic rappers and musicians. The day concluded with students sharing their reflections and takeaways in their workshop groups. 

Wrapping up the day, the Diversity and Equity team called the program “magical.” “We are incredibly grateful for the empathetic, creative, constructive, and personal spirit [everyone] put into this year’s program.” 

The 2020 Packer in Action program is scheduled to continue on Thursday, April 23 with a Chapel Talk by Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon, and a Middle School and Upper School conversation on Monday, April 27 with Schuyler Bailar, an athlete and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who gave a keynote address at the 2019 NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference.