Dear Parents and Guardians,

Innovation is one of the key priorities of Viola Desmond and the Durham District School Board. Our junion students are engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities to challenge students to explore and deepen their learning in areas that are part of a dynamic work field. Having high expectations for our students founded in strong curriculum continually motivate staff to create relevant and responsive lessons for your children.

We have an exciting week ahead! Our Defenders are looking forward to SPIRIT WEEK! Our school has been divided into 4 Team Colours and starting on Wednesday, students and classes will participate in friendly challenges to gain points for their house colours. Our intermediate students will be gaining valuable leadership skills by assisting in setting up challenges and rallying their teams (socially distanced of course!) This is a great way to have fun during the last few weeks before our winter holidays.

This week Durham Region entered the Red Zone. Your child's safety continues to be our top priority. We are following strict safety protocol and procedures to keep our building clean and high touch areas sanitized. We ask that parents and guardians do their part as well, by adhering to the mandatory wearing of masks while on school property and near students. We are in this together!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank parents and staff for their on-going flexibility and support during this unique school year. The pandemic has created logistical challenges and class adjustments that did not happen at ideal times. Our students continue to amaze us with their enthusiasm for learning, perseverance and adaptability. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work with your child and appreciate your on-going support.

We look forward to another great week of learning,

Yours in Education,

Mrs. Brusselers and Mrs. Thomas - Administrative Team

October is:

• Hindu Heritage Month

Ontario is home to a large and vibrant Hindu community. Since the first Hindu immigrants arrived in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, Hindu Canadians from across Ontario have made significant contributions across all fields: science, education, medicine, law, politics, business, culture and sports. Hindu Canadians have helped build Ontario into the multicultural success story that it is and have helped to build this province into the best place to live, work and raise families. They continue to help foster growth, prosperity and innovation throughout Ontario.

"Deepawali" or "Diwali" is the biggest of all celebratory festivals that members of the Hindu community celebrate. It falls in either November or October each year, depending on the cycle of the moon. It's observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. Diwali commemorates the victory of good over evil. In addition, during this time of the year, Hindus also celebrate other significant festivals such as Navratri and Durga Puja.

By proclaiming the month of November as Hindu Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the important contributions that Hindu Canadians have made to Ontario's social, economic, political and cultural fabric. Hindu Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Hindu Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario.

• Albanian Heritage Month

Ontario is home to more than 28,000 Albanian Canadians. Since the early 20th century, the Albanian-Canadian community has made and continues to make significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario.

November is a significant month for the Albanian community. Each year, during the month of November, people of Albanian origin celebrate the Albanian Declaration of Independence, which declared Albania an independent sovereign nation on November 28th, 1912.

In November, Albania also commemorates Liberation Day, which is the day that Albania was liberated from Nazi Germany forces after the Albanian resistance on November 29th, 1944.

By proclaiming the month of November as Albanian Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the meaningful contributions immigrants have made in building Ontario’s communities and the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of Albanian-Canadians throughout the province. Albanian Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Ontario’s rich history.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence of Against Women- November 25th

The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; furthermore, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden.

Holodomor - November 28th

The Holodomor is the name given to the genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932-1933 under Joseph Stalin’s regime. As many as 10 million people perished. In Ukrainian, “Holod” means starvation/famine and “moryty” means to inflict death. This Memorial Day was introduced in 2009 in Ontario.

First day of Advent (Christianity) - November 29th

Advent, (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. In Western churches, Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day) and is the beginning of the liturgical year. In many Eastern churches, the Nativity Fast is a similar period of penance and preparation that occurs during the 40 days before Christmas. The date when the season was first observed is uncertain. Bishop Perpetuus of Tours (461–490) established a fast before Christmas that began on November 11 (St. Martin’s Day), and the Council of Tours (567) mentioned an Advent season.

Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikhism) - November 30th

Festivities on Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab are centred around the birth anniversaries of the ten Sikh gurus. The tenth and the last Sikh Guru was Guru Gobind Singh. After him, the sacred book of Sikhs, the Adi Granth or Guru Granth Sahib, which contains the writings of the gurus, is considered the guru.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab or Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated as the day to remember the holy guru, Guru Nanak, and is a reminder for the followers of Sikhism to remember his teachings and overcome the five vices - lust, greed, attachment, anger and pride and devote one's life in the selfless service of God.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou