Category: Earl Haig Information

We are pleased to share that we have invited Freedom School Toronto to join us for three virtual workshops this month on how to talk about race and racism with our kids.

If you are interested in any of the sessions, please sign up using the event link (included in each session description) or send an email to earlhaigschoolcouncil@gmail.com.

We are confident that these will be engaging and informing sessions and we hope you’ll join us as we work towards making our school a more equitable and safe place for all children and staff.

Anti-Black Racism in Canada

Friday, May 14th, 6-8pm

This virtual workshop provides foundational knowledge for understanding anti-Black racism in Canada including key terminology, ideological framework, and historical information. The workshop focuses on debunking the myth of the great free north, understanding Canada’s legacies of colonialism and enslavement, and understanding the ways in which anti-Black racism manifests today. Participants will consolidate their knowledge using a transformative Jeopardy game/bingo card.

Click here to RSVP.

How To Talk to Your Kids About Racism

Thursday, May 20th, 6-8pm

The workshop moves from theory into a practice for sharing tools with children on how to recognise, challenge, and resist anti-Black racism. Facilitators will provide tips and resources for how to present information and analysis to children in a way that is age appropriate, safe, empowering, and engaging. The group will discuss how children and families can engage in self-love and transformative allied actions and will plan mini lessons for their families in breakout groups.

Click here to RSVP.

Anti-Black Racism in Ontario’s School System – Reacting as a School Community

Thursday, May 27th, 6-8pm

This workshops will specifically look at the history of anti-Black racism in Ontario’s school system. It will provide an overview of education during enslavement, segregation in Canada and issues such as: streaming, low teacher expectations, high push-out rates and disengaging Eurocentric curriculum. Participants will learn about Black educational activism including the work of: hidey school teachers, Lennox Farrel, Marlene Green, Anyika Tafari, Monday Gala, Donna Harrow and others. Parents will discuss opportunities to support their children to confront anti-Black racism as a school.

Click here to RSVP.

Forgive us for sharing this event so late, but we do hope you will join us tomorrow at 7:00 PM for our April School Advisory Meeting. Everyone is welcome and we’ll share the full agenda once we have it set. If you have any questions or anything you’d like to share at the meeting, please let us know.

Zoom Info

https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/93398029065?pwd=bkpNWWZXdUNlcXk2YUZkWVNLOFp5dz09

Meeting ID: 933 9802 9065
Passcode: 435160
One tap mobile
+16473744685,,93398029065#,,,,435160# Canada +16475580588,,93398029065#,,,,435160# Canada

We are pleased to give you an update on our school’s playground expansion project, PlayEH. This plan has been in the works for several years, so we will also include a brief update of the process thus far.

The biggest update is that our playground build is scheduled! TDSB Construction has confirmed that this project is scheduled for Fall 2021. This is (of course) dependent on ability to do construction with whatever COVID-19 rules are in place at that time, but it is as firm an answer as anyone can give at this time.

Earlier this year, TDSB had to update the playground budget by approximately $20K to include Covid-19 regulations and the rise in material costs. Our school staff and school advisory council worked with the TDSB to come to an agreement about the budget because we were concerned about asking our parent community for more donations during a pandemic. The TDSB has stepped up to the plate! They are picking up $17,635.15 in additional COVID-related costs. This is fabulous news and we are grateful that they have taken this burden off of our Earl Haig community. Even though our SAC did vote to fund the extra playground money as needed, it is a huge relief that we don’t have the extra stress of fundraising at this time.

Background timeline of PlayEH

• 2017 – our school community wanted to increase play space for our students.

• 2018 – playground design was developed using consultations with community, SAC, and TDSB Construction.

• 2019 – fundraising started – and was completed – within a school year. The community raised $84,000 for our playground.

• 2020 – construction was postponed due to COVID-19.

• 2021 – TDSB Construction gave us a budget that was approximately $20,000 over the original estimate due to COVID-19 costs.
  
  The Earl Haig staff voted to support the playground with $1,494.37 from their budget. Earl Haig Principal, Vice Principal, and School Council members (past and present) advocated to TDSB Connects to reduce the budget.
  
  TDSB Construction agreed to reduce the budget by $10,000 and then to cover an additional $7,635.15 to complete the construction budget with no additional funds needed from Earl Haig parents and guardians.

Please reach out to our Chair, Polly Vandenberg, if you have any questions regarding this process or the budget.