Message From the Board Chair
It has come to our attention that some hurtful and disturbing comments have been shared on Twitter. The account that shared the Tweets has been alleged of having an affiliation with one of our Trustees.
Letter to Minister Lecce and Dr Kurji
Dear Minister Lecce and Dr. Kurji,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the York Region District School Board, our 128,000 students and their families and over 19,000 staff members. We are very concerned about the rising number of COVID-19 variant cases in Ontario, and specifically York Region. According to letters issued to families from York Region Public Health, “they are becoming the dominant strain in the community.”
Our new digital front door
During the pandemic, it has become increasingly clear how important it is for our families to be able to find important and up-to-date information.
We are very excited this week to be launching our refreshed Board website. This new site better reflects our board and will make it easier for our community to find and access the information they are looking for. In redesigning the site, we continued to centre our families, including those who are underserved and underperforming. Our work was informed by feedback from the community, data and website design research.
Our new digital front door
During the pandemic, it has become increasingly clear how important it is for our families to be able to find important and up-to-date information.
We are very excited this week to be launching our refreshed Board website. This new site better reflects our board and will make it easier for our community to find and access the information they are looking for. In redesigning the site, we continued to centre our families, including those who are underserved and underperforming. Our work was informed by feedback from the community, data and website design research.
Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School
On March 2, 2021, the York Region Region District School Board of Trustees voted to rename the former Vaughan Secondary School after Hodan Nalayeh, following a community consultation process.
The renaming was initiated by Black community leaders, who brought the issue to the Board’s attention for action. We are thankful for their leadership, advocacy and their efforts.
We also want to thank the students, families, staff and community members who shared their input throughout the consultation process.
Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School
On March 2, 2021, the York Region Region District School Board of Trustees voted to rename the former Vaughan Secondary School after Hodan Nalayeh, following a community consultation process.
The renaming was initiated by Black community leaders, who brought the issue to the Board’s attention for action. We are thankful for their leadership, advocacy and their efforts.
We also want to thank the students, families, staff and community members who shared their input throughout the consultation process.
School Renaming Process
Reflection is critically important for good decision making. While this process is often invisible to our community, I think there are times when we need to publicly share our thoughts. The harm caused through the current renaming process in the City of Vaughan warrants this degree of openness and acknowledgement.
Happy Holidays
Dear families,
As you know, the holiday season is quickly approaching. We hope that you and your families are healthy and in the festive spirit! As 2020 winds down, we wanted to write and wish you all the very best for the upcoming holidays.
Election of Officers for 2020
Yesterday, at our annual inaugural Board meeting, the trustees elected our officers of the Board. I am humbled to serve this year as Board Chair.
I am pleased to congratulate Trustee Allan Tam who was elected as Vice-Chair and Trustee David Sherman who will serve again as Budget Chair. I also want to offer my thanks and congratulations to past Chair Juanita Nathan for the leadership and commitment she demonstrated over the past year serving as Chair of the Board.
Parents of Black Children (PoBC) Progress Report
Yesterday, several staff members in our Board received a message from the organization Parents of Black Children with a resource for families regarding progress reports. In an attempt to provide support, it was shared on a digital platform for our elementary virtual school families. In doing so, unfortunately, the message was shortened and did not contain the full message from the organization. While the intent was supportive, we acknowledge this may have caused hurt and confusion, and for that impact we are sorry.