I hope everyone has had a good start to the school year and is looking forward to the winter break ahead. 

As I have been visiting schools and attending events, I continue to be impressed by the professionalism and dedication of school staff, the commitment and support of families and the curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm of students. As a Board of Trustees, we continue our commitment to  delivering a high quality education, this also includes striving to create safe, caring, inclusive and respectful school environments where students feel valued and supported. 

I want to thank everyone who attended the school council forum held in our area and helped to make the event such a success. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together school council members for an evening of shared learning and discussion. School councils play such an important role in our schools, and we are grateful for all that they do to support students, family engagement and schools. 

While we are not yet at the midway point in the school year, many students and families are already looking to the school year ahead, visiting secondary school open houses and starting to think about course selections for next school year. All of our secondary schools offer a variety of courses, programs and opportunities that let students gain skills and experience, explore their interests and begin preparing for the future. Those opportunities are now even easier to explore. 

Over the past few years, some of our secondary schools have experienced significant enrollment growth, including Markville S.S. To ensure in-boundary YRDSB students can be accommodated at their home secondary school, we are introducing capped enrollment and new modified proof of residency requirements including this school. More information will be communicated to the Markville S.S. school community in early December. 

Students can search from 16 different sectors that interest them, including STEM, Arts, business, manufacturing and many more to discover how they can earn credits, gain experience, skills and certifications in those areas. Visit www2.yrdsb.ca/experience-yrdsb to learn more.

We also offer a variety of programs for Black students through the Board’s Centre for Black Student Excellence. These summer and school-year programs are designed to affirm students’ identities and support student achievement and well-being. You can learn more about the programs and how to sign up for the centre’s mailing list on the website. 

Our Board, the City of Markham and community partners have collaborated and created a wonderful exhibit "Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories & Experiences of the Chinese Community " ​at the Markham Museum. I invite everyone to explore and celebrate our Chinese residents, to engage and learn from each other as a wider community. The exhibit will continue till February 25, 2024.

One of our roles as a Board of Trustees is to regularly review Board policies to ensure they are relevant, reflect our mission and values as an organization, and meet the needs of our students. An important part of that process is collecting feedback from the community. Learn more on the Board website about how you can share your input and see what policies are currently being reviewed. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank families for their patience while we work to restore services following network outages as a result of a cyber incident, and to acknowledge the work of our staff who continue to deliver high quality public education and to restore services.  

​As we head into December, I also want to wish you a safe and enjoyable winter break. There are many significant dates for different faiths and cultures during this time of year, and to all those celebrating, I wish you a happy and joyous celebration. I hope everyone has an opportunity to relax, recharge and enjoy time with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming you back in January.

Ed Law

Trustee, Markham Wards 3 and 4