Roots of Empathy and Market Lane Public School Bestow a ‘Royal’ Welcome

Market Lane Public School was a hub of activity and excitement on Monday, as 120 of the school’s students – all participating in Roots of Empathy programs this coming academic year – welcomed Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex and Her Honour Mrs. Ruth Ann Onley, wife of The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario,  to witness the program in action and meet the students who are taking part.

Mary Gordon, Founder/President of Roots of Empathy, and Dane Lowry, Principal of Market Lane Public School in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), were on hand to greet Her Royal Highness and Her Honour Monday afternoon. “I am thrilled to welcome Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex and Her Honour Mrs. Onley to a Roots of Empathy program in one of our Centre of Excellence schools,” remarked Mary Gordon. “It’s wonderful to receive such distinguished guests in Toronto – and TDSB – the home of Roots of Empathy.”

Canada’s preeminent bullying prevention program is supported in Ontario by the Ministry of Education. Roots of Empathy engages students in their classroom with a local infant, her parent, and an Instructor, over 27 classes throughout the school year. The Instructor guides the students in identifying the baby’s emotions and intentions: the baby is the “teacher” and the catalyst that the Instructor uses to help the children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others – empathy.

With England’s first Roots of Empathy programs launching this fall at a formal reception at the House of Lords, it was fitting that Her Royal Highness witness students in a grade 2/3 class meet their Roots of Empathy baby for the first time.

Her Honour Mrs. Onley also joined in the experiential learning. His Honour David Onley is the provincial patron of Roots of Empathy, now recognized as a gold-standard social and emotional learning program on three continents.
 
After observing Baby Ella launch her career as a “Tiny Teacher,” Her Royal Highness and Her Honour met with Kindergarten to Grade 8 students participating in Roots of Empathy programs this year. The students welcomed the distinguished guests with a resounding edition of the program’s traditional welcome song.

During the visit, Her Royal Highness took questions from the students, like “What is it like to be a countess?” and “What is hard about being a countess?” to which she provided thoughtful responses.  One question about why her daughter, Lady Louise, was not referred to as a princess, provided Her Royal Highness with the opportunity to explain the royal lineage and order of succession. And to the question “Do you live in a castle?” the countess replied, “No, but I live very near one, and I visit it often,” continuing to describe what it looks like, to the delight of the students.

Offering Roots of Empathy programs since 1998, Market Lane is one of the schools that comprise Roots of Empathy’s Centre of Excellence: 5 schools within the TDSB that serve as a beacon for visitors from across Ontario, Canada and the world, providing a laboratory for testing new concepts and measuring impact.

As Market Lane Principal Dane Lowry describes, the effects of the program are infectious. “It’s rewarding to see how the program first impacts the participating students, but really exciting to see their changed classroom climate extend beyond its four walls to affect the climate of the entire school – it really is contagious!”

TDSB was host to the first ever Roots of Empathy programs in 1996, and has since been a significant partner in delivering this award-winning social innovation. Thirty-five thousand TDSB students have participated in Roots of Empathy since its inception, and in 2012-13 the program will be available in 25% of TDSB schools. “It is a true honour to welcome Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex and Her Honour Mrs. Ruth Ann Onley at Market Lane Public School to experience our incredible partnership with Roots of Empathy and the inspiring work they do with students,” remarked Chris Bolton, Chair, TDSB.

Over a decade of independent research indicates that the program reduces levels of aggression – including bullying – while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. Roots of Empathy will this year add three new countries to its roster, and will extend the total number of children reached to over half a million: all future citizens who will build more peaceful, caring and civil societies.