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Youth Development

Joy Generators

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BY: KATHY MCDONALD 

It is dizzying when you think that another Christmas has just ended. As I stop and reflect on the true meaning of the Christmas season and all that there is to be thankful for, I am filled with joy, gratitude, and hope. The symbolism around celebrating the birth of Christ and the anticipation of the possibilities can easily be transferred to the African, Black, and Caribbean community in the educational realm. I hope that everyone from the aforementioned communities will be resolute in pursuing excellence in all educational journeys.

There are several things that have transpired during 2018 that has been a great source of joy. However, I will be discussing my top three joy generators. First and foremost, I was given a mandate by the residents in wards three and four in Brampton to continue to affect positive changes that will benefit the students of Peel Region. For this, I am truly joyful. Very close to me in the “joyful arena” was hearing that Judge Donald Mcleod was cleared of judicial misconduct. It was clear to the four-person panel that Justice McLeod’s actions at no time undermined the public confidence in the judiciary, that Judge Mcleod is a role model in the black community especially to black youth and in many other circles, for example, the educational arena and that most importantly he was always transparent as he invariably would seek clarity and ask for direction when engaging in his advocacy for marginalized individuals and members of the black community. Lastly and by no means least I am overjoyed at the outcome of my August 29th, 2017 “Poverty Motion”. On Wednesday, December 19th, 2018 at the Peel District School Board (PDSB) Instructional Programs/Curriculum Committee Meeting, The Focus on Poverty: Action Plan was received by the members present.

The Director of Education for the PDSB, Peter Joshua; a Research Officer, Kim Bennett; a member of the Workplace Equity team, Jaspreet Pabla and a PDSB principal, Craig Caslick present the one-year action plan with the “Focuses on Poverty” initiative. The working group that participated in developing this plan consisted of over twenty-two individuals from various departments within the board. This multi-departmental collaborative action plan targeted five specific action areas along with expected changes and impacts. In the near future, the actual timeline will be presented but the urgency of this work was not lost on any individual present.

The five action areas are Student Success and Well Being, Awareness and Understanding of the Impact of Poverty, Support for Families Living in Poverty, Equitable Allocation of Human and Material Resources and Equitable Participation in Programs. Some of the specific actions and targeted activities that will be explored: launching a poverty awareness and understanding campaign and deconstructing what poverty in the PDSB looks like by examining our data; supporting students that have significant family responsibilities and engaging community partners and resources. Taking a detailed look at how Board resources are allocated and taking the decisive step to overhaul how Board resources are distributed within the Board. Mr. Joshua was resolute in his resolve to ensure that vulnerable students will be treated equitably and he is cognizant of the fact the equality is not equity; the PDSB will seek to foster external partnerships for supplementary resources; the PDSB will work to ensure that vulnerable students have access to programs and supports as well as responsive differentiated instruction and the Board is also committed to nurturing strong positive relationships.

I would strongly encourage individuals to visit the PDSB website peelschools.org and review the logic model as well as the five action areas. If you are from another Board you may want to reach out to your trustee and inquire if any such initiatives exist within your child’s school board. In the absence of an action plan that supports students and families in poverty, join forces with your trustee to implement a similar action plan.

Christmas can be a very joyful time, a time when people are filled with the euphoria of hope. It is this hope that fuels my desire to see vulnerable students excel in the educational arena. It is up to you the public to hold us as a board accountable and keep guard to ensure that this report does not end up on a shelf. The fate of this work is partly in your hands. When the board begins its community consultations or asks for feedback please lend your voice. All voices matter and are important as we develop a comprehensive strategy to combat the adverse effect of poverty. While the PDSB cannot eliminate poverty, we can ameliorate its impact on our students. So, journey with me as we strive to ensure that no child is left behind and that the full potential of all students is realized. Walk Good! Belle Marché.

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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