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Message From Our Trustee 340
Message From Our Trustee

September 2023
Photo of Elizabeth Sinclair

Message from Our Trustee

September 2023

 

Dear families, 

 

It is my pleasure to welcome all new and returning families to school for the 2023-2024 school year. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and wish you a positive start to the new school year. I know it can be a time of transition for many, and am grateful for the dedication and professionalism of our school staff for all that they do to support students as they start the new school year, and create a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment in our schools.

 

The education of your children is a partnership, and we recognize that you are our most important partner when it comes to your child’s education. As a family member, there are many ways you can engage in your child’s learning, from speaking with your child about school and connecting with school staff to volunteering or becoming involved with the school council. You know your child best and we place great value on the relationship we have with families. I look forward to connecting with you throughout the school year. 

 

As your school trustee, it is my role to advocate for quality public education in York Region, and to ensure that our students remain at the centre of all of our decision making. The Board of Trustees has many responsibilities, including making policy and budget decisions, and communicating with the public. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns, and I will continue to keep you updated throughout the year on what is happening in the board. You can also visit our newsroom, listen to our podcast and connect with us on social media to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the board. 

 

This year, we are pleased to welcome our new Director of Education Bill Cober, who took on the role on August 1 this year. He brings nearly 30 years of experience in public education in York Region, a commitment to student achievement and well-being, and a strategic and collaborative approach. 

 

Later in the year, we will be undertaking a comprehensive strategic plan review. One of our roles as a board is to set the Multi-Year Strategic Plan that establishes our priorities and guides our direction as a school board. We will be reviewing that plan this year, and engaging with communities is a priority for us. Your input will be important and I look forward to sharing more information with you on this in the future. 

 

I wish you all a great start to the school year and a happy, safe and successful year ahead. 

 

Dr. Elizabeth Sinclair

Trustee, Vaughan Wards 2 and 3​




Photo of Elizabeth Sinclair


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Indigenous Trustee Greeting

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I would like to offer greetings for the month of June, the month when we recognize and celebrate the Indigenous People of Canada, our unique status as Canadians, our history on this land and our many significant contributions. In 1996, Governor General Romeo LeBlanc declared June 21 as National Aboriginal Peoples Day. He said, “On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land.” In 2017, the name was formally changed, and we now recognize this day as National Indigenous Peoples Day.

June 21 was chosen because it is summer solstice, a time of spiritual significance for Indigenous people. It is a time when the sun is at the highest point in the sky and we experience the longest day of the year, and the most amount of daylight. This is considered powerful medicine and is a time for practicing ceremonies that honour our interconnection with the land and the cosmos.

The Anishinaabe also recognize June as the month of the Strawberry moon, Ode’min Giizis. The beautiful red heart shaped strawberry offers us the teaching of reconciliation and forgiveness. It is the first berry of the season that brings us that sweetness for life. June offers us many special gifts and much to be grateful for.

People ask what they can do to celebrate Indigenous People Day and as Canadians support Indigenous people in Canada?

We can build our awareness by reading Indigenous books, listening to Indigenous podcasts, and attending Indigenous events. We can create positive change and promote public awareness by lending our support to Indigenous issues. We can also offer land acknowledgements as we do at the beginning of meetings and events in the YRDSB.

However, I believe most importantly to Indigenous people across this planet is to recognize our right to reclaim and practice our Indigenous languages and the important significance of the earth under our feet. Our traditional knowledge and our cultures exist in our languages and without the opportunity to learn them in our schools and speak them in our communities much of our ancestral knowledge will be lost forever.

Further, recognizing Indigenous relationship with the land and taking the time to build land awareness and connection is imperative. We must practice environmental stewardship and protect our greenspaces. Walk in nature, plant, or hug a tree, help a turtle across the road, sing to the water, just be with the land. It does little to offer a land acknowledgement if we do not acknowledge the earth on which we live. The earth is our mother, this is why we call her “Mother Earth” in our Anishinaabe creation stories. We are extrinsically interconnected; without her we would not exist. As her children we must care for her and protect her.  Stand with Indigenous people by honouring her, this is the most important land acknowledgement you can give.

Chi-Miigwech and Happy Indigenous People’s Day!

Your Indigenous Trustee, Lauri Hoeg

This is a good resource and activity guide for students.


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