Dear Families,
We wish to take this opportunity to welcome our new and returning families. We hope everyone is having a great start to the school year.
Families are our most important partners in education, and
we share a common goal – to support our students in reaching their full
potential. At York Region District School Board, our core business is student
achievement and well-being. We know students achieve their best and feel better
about themselves when they feel safe, respected and have a strong sense of
belonging. In other words, school and classrooms that are equitable and
inclusive lay an important foundation for excellence in achievement and well-being.
Recognizing the importance of equity and inclusion in our
Board, we believe it’s important to address incidents of anti-black,
anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and other forms of oppression we have
recently seen taking place around the world.
This was seen most recently in the United States as well as
right here in our community. As you may have heard, we were appalled when a
number of our school buildings were vandalized over the summer with hateful
anti-Semitic and anti-Black racist graffiti. While the board responded swiftly
and strongly in condemning these hateful acts, we understand the feelings of
anger and disappointment with what seems to be a rise in the open expression of
hate and oppression. We also know that members of our Jewish and Black
communities as well as other marginalized groups are concerned about what this
means for the upcoming school year and for the future. As well, we know that
many of you are wondering about how to talk about these issues at home with
your children. There are a number of equity resources available on the
Board website to support you as you have these important conversations.
We cannot predict what will happen in the future, but we
know that it is essential that we are prepared to talk and listen to the
children a manner that is thoughtful and respectful. We must be both committed
and prepared to name anti-Semitism, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and all
forms of hate whenever and however they are expressed. Staying silent about
incidents of hate and intolerance is not an option.
In YRDSB, we are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that
our schools and workplaces are safe, caring and inclusive spaces for everyone.
This is why equity is one of our foundational practices and we continue to
proudly say, diversity is our strength, equity is our commitment and inclusion
is our goal.
Ultimately, when the doors of our schools open, those who
enter bring their social identities with them and must feel that they are
welcomed to learn and work in spaces where they are valued. We know that doing
so is key to mental health, well-being and achievement.
Equity requires that we all take responsibility to identify
and eliminate systemic barriers to success and be vigilant about condemning
incidents of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, bigotry or any
form of hate. Such incidents must be immediately reported to your child’s
teacher or principal. We encourage you to reinforce with your child the
importance of reporting such incidents to a trusted adult.
York Region is one of the most diverse communities in the
country. This diversity, reflected among all of our 123,000 students, their
families and our over 12,500 staff members, strengthens our communities and our
school district.
This school year, we hope you will join us in setting the
tone for an environment where all our students can feel safe, included, and can
focus on achieving excellence. As we work towards achieving this goal, it is
critical that we engage in conversations about the incidents of hate we saw
during the summer. As a parent members of our educational community, it’s
important that you join us in taking a strong stance against all forms of hate.
A new school year is an exciting time of hope and optimism.
Our board remains one of the top performing boards in the province, and we look
forward to working with our parent community to create welcoming and inclusive
schools and continuing to improve student achievement and well-being.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Wallace Loralea Carruthers
Interim Director of Education Chair
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