BLACK HISTORY MONTH In honour of Black history month, the Equity Committee turned the school into a museum filled with events and people that are significant to Canadian Black history. Students and staff learned about slavery, segregation and the civil rights movement in Canada, significant activists, leaders, and politicians in history, such as Jean Augustine and Viola Desmond, Black Canadians in S.T.E.M., including Elijah McCoy, the prolific inventor, and the Black Cross Nurses, athletes, including Angela James and the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes and those in the arts including Oscar Peterson and Portia White and authors such as publishing legend Carrie Best and her newspaper the Clarion. Our thanks as well to Patricia DeGuire, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, who joined The York School Assembly honouring #BlackHistoryMonth. When asked by student Angeline V. on how we can make a difference to herald in positive change DeGuire responded, ”Call it out, be an ally.”
In Other News Resources to Check Out Learn about Toronto’s battle for the Jamaican Patty in the short doc Patty vs Patty. In reporting on Ukraine, are we witnessing double standards? Click here and here to read about how coverage of world events can differ depending on perspective.
LOOKING AHEAD Check out The Flash and social media for regular DEI updates as we adapt our curriculum and learning to include many voices. Update on DEI focus groups with Equity Connections - We will share more about this in the all staff meeting on March 28th.
Important Dates: February 2022 Click to learn more! Black History Month African Heritage Month Psychology Month 1st: Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year National Freedom Day Maitreya Bodhisattva's Birthday 1st-7th:Chinese Spring Festival White Cane Week Children's Mental Health Week 2nd: Imbolc Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day Feast of the Presentation Groundhog Day 3rd: Setsubun 4th: World Cancer Day 5th: Vasant Panchami 6th: Feast of Mulk 7th-13th: Reproductive Health Awareness Week Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week 8th: Nirvana Day 11th: World Day of the Sick 14th: Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day Valentine's Day 15th: Sakyamuni Buddha's Nirvana Day Parinirvana Day International Childhood Cancer Day National Flag of Canada Day 16th: Magha Puja (Lantern Festival) 16th - 17th: Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day) 18th: Jashan-e Spandarmad 20th: World Day of Social Justice Saka Nankana Sahib 21st: Family Day International Mother Language Day Louis Riel Day (Manitoba) Nova Scotia Heritage Day (Nova Scotia) Islander Day (PEI) 23rd: Pink Shirt Day Jamaican Patty Day (Toronto) 25th: Yukon Heritage Day (Yukon) 25th - Mar. 1st: Ayyam-I-Ha / Intercalary Days 27th: Anosmia Awareness Day 28th (29th on a Leap Year): Rare Disease Day 28th - Mar. 1st: Isra and Mi’raj
RARE DISEASES DAY Julia B. O. started the first Rare Disease Day Week at York six years ago when she was in Grade 7. Now, a student in grade 12 who also happens to live with a rare disease called APS1 Julia has partnered with the Community Service Committee and Eco team to plan this year's Rare Disease Week. From a ‘Rare Disease Bingo’ to Tye Dye activities and Glow in the Dark Carnival the team did an exceptional job building awareness and showing that we “Care about Rare”!
RETIRING HOUSE NAMESAKES All over the world, institutions have begun to examine the legacies of historical figures that have been commemorated and celebrated with statues and place names. We invite you to read The Flash of March 3rd explaining the consultative process that brought us to our retiring of the house namesakes and our path forward on how we will continue to celebrate school spirit. ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTER The Ontario Science Center partnered with the Canadian RacHi Camille, A) e Relations Foundation has developed a new exhibit: Behind Racism: Challenging the Way We Think . It looks at the science behind the mental processes that contribute to racism and discrimination. It makes connections from Canadian history to present-day racism and it only takes 20-30 minutes if you engage fully with the exhibit. Here until April 24th. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 8 Our Senior School International Women’s Club and Senior School Student Council organized and hosted a Middle and Senior Livestream Assembly to honour International Women’s Day coming up on Tuesday March 8th. Watch the Assembly here