Multiculturalism

At ESN there are students as well as staff from a total of more than 40 different cultural backgrounds. Countries represented can be as wide apart as Nepal, Sierra Leone, Chile, Canada, Australia and Iceland.

The adults at school strive towards common goals and among them are to teach our students that we are all unique but similar. What is different in us is interesting and must be respected. What is the same is our humanity.

Included in the syllabus for all age levels is a program of social and emotional intelligence training. In the upper grades this is called health and values.

Social and emotional intelligence training permeates all teaching and specific lessons are set aside each week for this as well.

During these lessons throughout the school students learn such things as good manners, how to give compliments, how to make democratic decisions and solve conflicts, how to recognize feelings and handle them, and how to stand up to negative group pressure.

Common to almost all the areas discussed is respect for our differences and similarities, respect for oneself and for others.