YRDSB Blog

Dear families,  It has been a joy to welcome our students back to school. We have missed them, and whether they are joining their classrooms in person or remotely, we are so happy to see them and hope they have had a positive start to the school year. 

We are deeply saddened by the news that again, unmarked graves have been found at the site of a former residential school in Canada. The remains of 751 people, mainly Indigenous children, have been identified at the site of Marieval Residential School in Saskatchewan. This is an ongoing reminder of the devastating legacy of residential schools in our country, and highlights our need to continue to address the ongoing trauma that Indigenous students, families, staff and communities face.  

Yesterday, we were heartbroken to hear of a Muslim family that was targeted with a vehicle in London, Ontario. Our deepest condolences go to the family and all those grieving this act of terrorism and hate. 

Over the weekend, we were heartbroken to see the news of the discovery of a mass grave of 215 children at the former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. This is a devastating reminder of not only the tragic legacy of residential schools in our country, but our need to continue to address the ongoing trauma that Indigenous students, families, staff and communities face. Our Director’s Action Plan commits us to interrogate the ongoing impact of colonialism, and Residential Schools were a dehumanizing embodiment of the Canadian colonial project.

Sadly, York Region District School Board has been subject to hate mail. It comes in different forms: email, social media and their messaging platforms and, sometimes, through traditional mail. Approximately four years ago, we started receiving hate mail that contained anti-Black racism and antisemitism. While no physical threats were contained in the messages, the level of racism was disturbing and we contacted York Regional Police (YRP), who opened an investigation.