This message was went out yesterday afternoon to Familes at WEJ from our Principal and Vice Principal. I have posted it here in case you need to refer to it or if for some reason you did not receive it.
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Dear W. Erskine Johnston Families,
The horrific death of George Floyd in the U.S. as well as the resultant riots and calls for justice, have had a significant impact on all of us. These actions have brought the issue of racism to the forefront of our discussions in our homes, learning environments, communities and nation. These conversations have been difficult and uncomfortable as we look inwards and forwards in our efforts to be strong and fight against racism in our school, in the OCDSB and in our community.
Our Director Camille Williams-Taylor spoke for us when she stated, “We are committed to challenging ourselves to examine privilege and question how we can make changes to remove bias and barriers that get in the way of personal, academic and professional success.”
As educators at WEJ, we are committed to the essential concepts of belonging, equity, inclusive education and diversity. We must also continue to work to be anti-racist in our teaching practices. Our commitment to break down barriers and understand and identify bias is important in how we address our students and communities.
At WEJ, we feel that every student has the right to a learning environment of dignity and respect, free from harassment and discrimination. As a school it is our responsibility to support human rights and value social justice and anti-racism efforts.
We will commit to continuing to educate ourselves, engaging in conversations with our staff, students and families. We know that we all have more work to do. Our Director also stated, “We need to learn and unlearn and most importantly, teach our children to be accepting and compassionate people who call out and stand together against racism.” At WEJ, we are truly committed to that task.
Sincerely,
Colleen Irvin (Principal) and Sean Davidson (Vice Principal)