December 2023
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 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.
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.
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.
Estelle Cohen
Trustee, Vaughan Wards 4 and 5