June 2023 Director’s Update from the Durham District School Board

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are at the end of another school year, and as always, it has been an incredible journey, filled with growth, successes, and memorable moments. Thank you for your continuous support, interest, and involvement in your child’s learning journey with us. 

Our students have once again shown us their dedication, hard work, and resilience throughout the year. In classrooms, socially, and through extracurricular activities, they have faced new challenges head-on and have emerged stronger, more confident, and more accomplished. I’d also like to acknowledge the unrelenting work of staff teams in schools and in the system who have gone to great lengths to secure safety, nourish well-being, and advance learning for our children and youth. 

As the summer break nears, we look forward to a time of relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation. It is an opportunity for students to appreciate their achievements and set new goals. A variety of programs are available in the DDSB over the summer. These programs offer a range of opportunities for students to continue their learning journey during the break. Learn more about early years summer programming and Durham Continuing Education (DCE) summer school programs. 

The summer months also provide us with a chance to reflect on the milestones we have achieved throughout the year. This June we celebrated the accomplishments of the more than 4,500 students who graduated from our high schools including learners who found success in alternative programming. This is a time of transition for these young people. Families and educators have worked together to teach, inspire, guide, and encourage them so that they have the courage, confidence, and capacity to navigate the path ahead. We are confident that the strong school, family, and community foundations will serve them well as they move into the next phase of their lives. 

Our community has been actively engaged with us over the past several months in the development of our new Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan will guide the direction of the DDSB and help identify our values, priorities, and measures for success. Consultation has included online surveys and in-person opportunities to provide feedback at pop-up stations during various events. To learn more about the strategic planning process and how you can contribute to the conversation, please visit the DDSB website. 

We appreciate your active participation and valuable contributions to all the recent surveys we have distributed throughout the system over the past several months including the School Climate and Well-Being Survey, the Student Census, the Multi-Year Strategic Plan Survey, the SEAC Survey, and the DDSB at Home Survey. We received more than 120,000 pieces of feedback from these engagements. Your input is important and plays a significant role in shaping and guiding our future planning. It provides us with a deeper understanding of the diverse needs and aspirations of our school community and enables us to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to enhance the overall educational experience for our students. Your engagement in this collaborative process reinforces the strong partnership we share in nurturing the growth and success of our learners. 

As we close out this school year, we recognize that we have all been navigating division and tensions that emerge with divergent points of view and lived realities, here in the District and in our broader communities. Our work as a DDSB community is to ensure that all children know that they belong in our schools and classrooms and that they know that they matter. We are reminded regularly that our students have lived experiences and realities that may be unfamiliar to some of us. It is our responsibility to provide the care, support, and space to help us learn alongside our students and create opportunities so they see themselves reflected in their learning and can seize their potential. Every child must know they are seen and valued, just the way they are.

Who are our students? 

“Our students live in houses, apartments, hotels, shelters, foster homes, and group homes. Our students live in communities that are rural, urban, quiet, exuberant, fast-paced, tightly-knit, or loosely connected. Some of our students express their gender identities in a male/female binary, others express their gender identities on a fluid continuum. They all find love in different ways. Our students come from families that are led by same-sex partners, moms and dads, single parents, partners who are married, or not, grandparents, foster parents, aunts, uncles, or siblings. Some of our students live on their own. Some students are of the ancestral land that we are on, some are descendants of historical settlers to Canada, others are descendants of stolen people on stolen land; some migrated from other countries and some have come as refugees. All of them have rich personal stories and narratives.  

Our students adhere to and connect with their faith in temples, synagogues, churches, and mosques. They connect with their spirituality in forests, fields, and at home. For some, their faith or creed is represented in their manner of dress, the symbols they carry, the food they eat, or in silent prayers and reflections. Some of our students do not follow a faith or creed. Our students are young, they are adolescents or adults; they experience different degrees of health and well-being; some are sighted, hearing and ambulatory, others are differently abled, learning and moving through the world in their own unique ways. They speak many languages and have varied talents and skills. Some of our students have many choices ahead of them, others face limited and challenging options. Some of our students plan for survival, others have dreams of greatness. All of our students come with the wealth, the gifts and opportunities afforded to them through their unique identities” (Taken from the DDSB Equity and Diversity Strategic Plan, 2018-2021). 

Such is the richness of our student community, their families, and their communities. We are truly fortunate. 

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful summer filled with joy, relaxation, and meaningful experiences. 

Sincerely, 

Camille Williams-Taylor 

Director of Education 

 
Good News from the System  

The past month was underscored by several good news stories. We invite you to check out the DDSB’s YouTube channel to learn more about the latest initiatives taking place across the DDSB. 

Upcoming Dates of Significance   

Reflective of our vibrant and diverse community that continues to shape our identity, the upcoming weeks bring more Dates of Significance to the calendar. Learn more by visiting the DDSB website.