Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last week was Children's Mental Health Week, and the theme was Express Yourself. Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself. Our grade 7 and 8s joined a virtual concert and motivational speech by Shaun Boothe called Hope during Challenging Times. He spoke about developing resiliency and striving towards your goals. The pandemic is challenging for students and finding healthy outlets through exercise, calming activities, and sharing their feelings is important. We also welcomed the Get Real Movement, who spoke to our Junior and Intermediate students about 2SLGBTQI inclusivity and how we can become better allies to build a stronger school community. Students shared something they are grateful for and something they are challenged by. Their voice and experiences provided wonderful feedback for developing future initiatives to support equity and well-being at Viola.

During Remote Learning, 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.

We continue to promote well-being during Remote Learning! We encourage students to participate in phys ed with Mr. Stanat or Mrs. McPhillips, or with their own homeroom teachers. This provides students with a much-needed movement break during the day as we cannot have our normal recess breaks.

Viola Desmond is proud to participate in the Pickering-Ajax Wellness Series. Elementary schools from across the region have collaborated to organize this event. We are proud to host two online workshops: Art by Ashlee and Examining Anti-Black Racism and Its Impact on Well-Being. We hope you will be able to join us, or register for one of the amazing events being offered from May 13th to 15th!

PLEASE NOTE: On Tuesday, May 18th, staff will be participating in mandatory safety training. All afternoon Real-Time Learning Blocks and Office Hours will be cancelled. Instead, Students will have Flex Time where they can on missed work or complete new assignments.

Our school office is 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. Brusselers and Mrs. Thomas - Administrative Team

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.

Ascension (Christianity) - May 13th

Ascension, in Christian belief, the ascent of Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection (Easter being reckoned as the first day).

Eid-ul-Fitr (Islam) - May 14th

Eid al-Fitr, (Arabic: “Festival of Breaking Fast”) is the first of two canonical festivals of Islam. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

International Day for Families - May 15th

The 15th of May was declared the International Day of Families by the United Nations on September 20, 1993. The day is intended to reflect the importance the international community places on families as basic units of society. The day is intended to be taken as an occasion to reflect on and promote awareness and action with regard to issues relating to families worldwide.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia - May 17th

This day is a day coordinating international events to combat homophobia and transphobia and to provide information about sexual orientation and gender identity. It is also a rallying day for people to reach out to one another. May 17 has been chosen for this event as on this day in 1990, homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO). This date was adopted in Canada in 2003 by Foundation Emergence in Quebec.

Shavuot - May 17th

The word Shavuot (or Shavuos) means “weeks.” It celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuot.

The Torah was given by G‑d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai on Shavuot more than 3,300 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of G‑d’s gift, and G‑d “re-gives” the Torah.

“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