final thoughts on dei for the 2022-2023 year

Excerpt from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion newsletter from the FLASH - Issue #13 (June 2023)

We hope you have had a chance to read The York School’s DEI 2023 Update that Mr. Robertson sent out in late May. As you read in the DEI Update, the school’s partnership with Equity Connections will be completed at the end of this school year. They will be hosting a final workshop with us during June meeting week. Throughout our partnership we have worked on building internal capacity to continue moving this work forward. We will both continue to move the work forward with all members of the community. The faculty and staff will once again engage in a book summer reading related to DEI where we will choose one from a selection and unpack in small groups in August.

Ms. Gopal and Mr. Rand will be completing a 21 day equity challenge by Eddie Moore Jr and would like to invite others from our community to join. Eddie Moore Jr has created several challenges (he has a 21 day Equity Indigenous Challenge, a 21 Day Equity Faith Based Challenge, a 21 day Self Care Challenge and several others). The challenges require you to do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression and equity. He offers a wealth or resources of different modalities (podcasts, videos, articles). In addition, your time commitment is also up to you as the resources range from 5 mins to 2 hours a day. 

You can find his challenges at https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge.

If you do decide to complete one, please feel free to reach out and let us know how it goes!

Thank you for reading and to all those who contributed! Next issue will be in September!

IMPORTANT DATES: JUNE 2023

• June: Pride Month

• June 2nd: Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhism) 

• June 3rd: Poson (Buddhism)

• June 4th: Pentecost (Christianity) 

• June 11th: All Saints Day (Christianity)

• June 16th: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikhism) 

• June 21st: National Indigenous Peoples Day (Indigenous Worldview)

• June 21st: Summer Solstice (Wicca) 

• June 27th/28th: Waqfatu’Arafat (Islam) 

• June 28th/29th: Eid-ul-Adha (Islam) 

IMPORTANT DATES: JULY 2023

• July 1st: Canada Day (Government of Canada) 

• July 3rd: Asalha Puja Day (Buddhism) 

• July 3rd: Guru Purnima (Hinduism and Jainism) 

• July 10th: Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá’i) 

• July 11th: Imamat Day (Islam) 

• July 14th-16th: Jalsa Salana (Islam) 

• July 17th: Navroze (Zoroastrianism) 

• July 18th/19th: Hijra (Islam) 

• July 22nd: Khordad Sal (Zoroastrianism) 

• July 27th: Tishah B’Av (Judaism) 

• July 28th: Ashura (Islam)

IMPORTANT DATES: AUGUST 2023

• August 1st: Lughnasadh/Lammas (Wicca) 

• August 4th: Farvadegan (Zoroastrianism) 

• August 5th: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Enlightenment (Buddhism) 

• August 16th: Navroze (Zoroastrianism) 

• August 21st: Khordad Sal (Zoroastrianism)

• August 30th: Dharma Day/Ullambana (Buddhism) 

• August 30th: Raksha Bandhan (Hinduism)