To Students,
Staff and Families of the YRDSB and Community Members,
At the
September 15, 2020 Board Meeting, YRDSB trustees voted unanimously to rename
Vaughan Secondary School in response to community advocacy as the school’s
namesake was a slave owner who opposed the abolition of the enslavement of
African peoples. The renaming of the
school was initiated in accordance with Board Policy #445.0. It was
determined that the consultation would follow a two-step process:
· Step 1
- Submission of names for consideration (conducted through a survey in
November); and
· Step 2
- Virtual Town Hall to receive feedback on the shortlisted names for further
consideration.
Virtual Town Hall
The York Region District School
Board invites students, staff, families and community members of York Region to
a Virtual Town Hall scheduled for Wednesday February 17, 2021, starting at
7:00 p.m., through which feedback can be provided on the short-list of
names being considered in the renaming of Vaughan Secondary School. A replay of the Virtual Town Hall is available for viewing.
Short-List of Names
- Elie Wiesel
- Harry Jerome
- Hodan
Nalayeh
- Mary Ann
Shadd
- Raoul
Wallenberg
- Shannen
Koostachin
- Simon Wiesenthal
- Tanya Khan
- Walter
Rolling
Individual students, staff,
families and community members are invited to participate in the Town Hall in
one of three ways:
1. As a speaker during the
Virtual Town Hall
Those requesting to speak to
provide feedback on the short-list of names being considered for the renaming
of the former VSS, must submit their request through this form commencing on February 8 and closing on February 11 by 4:00
p.m. (Please note the link can also be accessed on the Board’s
website).
· Participants
will have 5 minutes maximum to speak to which name from the short-list they
would like to see selected for the school and the reasons why.
· While every effort will be made to accommodate as many
speakers as possible, please note time may not allow all requests to be
accommodated.
· From the requests received by the deadline, efforts will be
made to have speakers reflect different roles (student, staff, families,
community members).
· Participants
must ensure that their comments are respectful, uphold the values of equity and
inclusion and contribute to a positive, identify-affirming space.
2. As a non-speaking attendee during the Virtual Town Hall
Those interested in participating
as a non-speaking attendee via telephone call or connecting via a PC or
smartphone/tablet to view & listen, may register at any time up to the
start of the Town Hall broadcast on Feb. 17 by the following:
·
To connect from a PC or smartphone/tablet, public attendees would
register using the link below. After
registering, you will receive an email with further instructions for joining
the Virtual Town Hall on February 17. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3025305555952444176
·
To connect with telephone only access, please call 647-497-9368 and enter Access Code: 446-708-850 at the prompts. Using this
method, you will be joined as a muted telephone only attendee to listen to the
Virtual Town Hall.
3. Those not able to attend
and/or not requesting to speak but who are interested in submitting written
feedback on a short-listed name are still able to participate in the renaming
process.
Community members may submit the
name from the short-list they recommend for the school name and the reasons why
by emailing school.renaming@yrdsb.ca with the
subject line: Virtual Town Hall. Please ensure to
include your name, whether you are a student, parent or staff member of the
YRDSB or a community member of York Region. If you are submitting your
recommendation as a member of an affinity group, community group, or board
community partner, please identify which one.
Please note
that Policy #445.0 School Names has been identified by Trustees for review by
the Board’s Policy and By-Law Committee. Information will be provided in
the next few weeks regarding how students, staff, families and the community
may provide input into the review of the policy.
Board of Trustees
York Region District School Board