Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our Kindergarten Teams are doing an amazing job at exploring rich texts to celebrate and recognize the identities of students! Culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy focuses on educators developing a deep knowledge of their students by exploring their identities, interests and strengths so our tasks are engaging and relevant to our learners. In Mrs. Fong and Mrs. Gunn's Class, and Ms. Parreira and Ms. Tomais', they read the book, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book, which inspired students and teachers to share their identities with each other by creating Identity Dolls! Students made connections to their peers and did a fantastic job presenting! In Mrs. Antonucci and Mrs. Michailidis' Class, and Mrs. Halcomb and Mrs. James' Class, started an inquiry about lawyers after reading the book, I am Brown. A big thank you to Mrs. Clarke for organizing a special visit by 5 lawyers, who shared their jobs in the fields of family law, refugee law, business law, housing law and labour law. Each lawyer shared their identities, made connections to students, and provided motivational words to inspire our youngest Defenders!

As the weather gets warmer, we continue to encourage students to attend Virtual School in our final few weeks of the school year. Students are encouraged to:

• keep showing up on time with a positive attitude;

• work in a dedicated learning space to show you are ready for the day;

• communicate any challenges with teachers and staff so that we can support you;

• continue participating in class and completing assigned work;

• ask for help if you need it.

At the end of June, we say goodbye and congratulate Mrs. Brusselers on her retirement after 34 years of incredible service to students and school communities. Mrs. Brusselers's commitment, knowledge, and passion have had a positive impact on many lives throughout her career. Her many dedicated years of hard work have made an undeniable difference, and we are grateful for the leadership she has shown in opening Viola Desmond and growing our school community! We wish her all the best as she starts this exciting next chapter!

In September, we welcome our new principal, Mr. Imran Syed from Sir John A. MacDonald P.S. in Pickering. His years of administrative experience, commitment to equity and inclusive education, and parent engagement will benefit our school community!

Our school office remains closed at this time. Should you need to contact our secretaries, Mrs. Gill or Mrs. Hindle, or admin, please email us at Violadesmondps@ddsb.ca. Response time will be delayed for messages left on the school's voicemail.

Stay well and be safe!

Have a wonderful week,

Mrs. Thomas - Vice Principal

May is:

May is Dutch Heritage Month

Ontario is home to about 500 000 Dutch Canadians. May is a historically significant month for the Dutch Canadian community. On May 5, 1945, the Canadian forces were instrumental in the liberation of the Netherlands from occupation during World War II. The Netherlands celebrates its independence and liberty, along with the heroic efforts of the Canadian forces, with a national holiday known as Liberation Day, which takes place annually on May 5th.

May is Jewish Heritage Month

The bill proclaiming the annual event passed third and final reading in the House of Commons on March 28, 2018. Canadian Jewish Heritage Month provides an opportunity for all Canadians to reflect on and celebrate the incredible contributions that Jewish Canadians have made to our country, in communities across Canada.

Pentecost (Christianity) - May 23rd

Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, (Pentecost from Greek pentecostē, “50th day”), major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world. .

Victoria Day - May 24th

Occurring every year in Canada on the Monday before May 25, this day celebrates the birthdays of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. It was declared a national holiday throughout the British Empire in 1901

Wesak (Buddhist) - May 26th

Wesak, also spelled Vesak, Sanskrit Vaishakha, Pali Vesakha, most important of the Theravada Buddhist festivals, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The event is observed on the full-moon day of the lunar month Vesakha, which falls in April or May.

Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá’í) - May 28th

This important holy day is celebrated on the 29th May, at 3am. It commemorates the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Bahá'í faith, Bahá'u'lláh, and his teachings.

Bahá'u'lláh died peacefully on the morning of 29th May 1892. He now lies buried in Bahji, in a shrine surrounded by a stunning garden, which is designed to symbolise the order of the world in the future.

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

― Malala Yousafzai