Submitted by Chair Amanda Amaral
October 11, 2023
This month we wrap up our consultation on the Board’s mission, vision, affirmation and values and will soon be shifting out work to focus on the aspirational student learning goal. We hope that you have all had an opportunity to consider the changes we are proposing and provide your thoughts, curiosities, or wonders. We want to hear from you at each stage of the work. We are excited to come together as a Board and spend some time with the learnings from this phase and are looking forward to sharing our decision with you.
I have made a ritual of taking time in my report to the board to contemplate the importance of our monthly theme. In the month of October this would have been vision. However, as we are currently reviewing our vision statement and our months this year are not themed and focused in the same way, I thought I would use this opportunity to spend some time reflecting on something different this month.
October 18th is Persons Day in Canada because on October 18, 1929 a decision was made to include women in the legal definition of person in Canada. Although this decision in 1929 did not include all women it set the direction, and started the conversation, for the work to create equity in our communities. We are still on this journey today and our school district is committed to reflect on our policies, bylaws, regulations and operations and making amendments to ensure we are honouring the diversity in our staff, students and community by ensuring equity.
Just think, less than 100 years ago none of the trustees elected to this table would have been able to hold office. Think of the women and females in your life; how has this change in law impacted them and you? What would not be possible today without that change on October 18, 1929?
In 1929, when the idea of women becoming a legal person was introduced, this concept was unimaginable to many. What is unimaginable to us right now? What unimaginable decisions will we make and how will they move us forward to a better place? How can we continue the work in equity started by a group of five fearless Canadian women? Where we will arrive as we journey together?