We had a blast at Activate, an interactive gaming experience with high-energy, team-building challenges.

Each year on May 5, the Toronto District School Board joins communities across Turtle Island in observing Red Dress Day – the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). This day is a time for remembrance, reflection, and ongoing commitment to justice and reconciliation. In recognition of the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S, flags will be lowered at all TDSB administrative sites. 

The day was inspired by The REDress Project, an art installation by Métis artist Jaime Black, which uses red dresses to symbolize the lives lost and the systemic violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. Today, red dresses hanging in windows, from porches, and in trees have become a powerful visual reminder of this national tragedy. 

This year, we hold in our hearts the families of Morgan Beatrice Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois, and an unidentified woman who has been given the name Buffalo Woman – four Indigenous women whose lives were taken in Manitoba. In March, the remains of Morgan Beatrice Harris and Marcedes Myran were recovered at the Prairie Green Landfill, north of the city of Winnipeg. As we honour the memories of these women and grieve alongside their families, we must also reckon with the ongoing violence that disproportionately affects Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. 

Red Dress Day is a vital learning opportunity. As educators and staff, we are called to engage deeply with the truths shared by survivors, families, and communities through the National Inquiry into MMIWG2S. The Urban Indigenous Education Centre has compiled valuable resources to support both learning and wellness, recognizing that these conversations may be particularly difficult for those with lived experience. 

We encourage you to: 

• explore age-appropriate ways to discuss Red Dress Day with students and colleagues; 
• reflect on how colonial systems continue to impact Indigenous communities; 
• centre Indigenous voices and commit to concrete actions toward truth, justice, and reconciliation in alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. 

The TDSB remains committed to upholding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into MMIWG2S. We recognize that reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires us all to listen, learn, and act with humility and care. 

Sincerely, 

Clayton La Touche 

Director of Education 

The work of four talented SOLE Visual Arts students is featured in the EDGE Youth Art Show 2025 at Artscape Youngplace (180 Shaw St.) The opening reception is this Wednesday, April 30th. If you can’t make it, never fear! The show runs until May 12, so there’s plenty of time to check it out!

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

To celebrate, we’ll be showing a screening of the film The Interceptors on Wednesday afternoon. Did you know that if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions? Learn more about efforts to combat food waste, courtesy of Story Money Impact.

We will be having  our In-Person interviews on Thursday, April 3rd. As a reminder, here is the schedule for the day:

Schedule for April 3rd:  

Period 1: 09:00am – 09:35am
Period 2: 09:40am – 10:15am
Period 3: 10:20am – 10:55am
Period 4: 11:00am – 11: 35am

Lunch: 11:35am – 12:35pm

1:00pm – 3:00pm Parent/Teacher Interviews – Session 1

5:30pm – 7:30pm Parent/Teacher Interviews – Session 2

The following day, Friday, April 4th, will be a late start. Please arrive at school by 9:45 am!

Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interviews are coming up on Thursday, April 3rd. Interview slots are available from 1 pm-3 pm and from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. You can sign up online starting today, Wednesday, March 26. If you have any problems, feel free to call Debbie at 416-393-0756!

A reminder to students that the next day, Friday, April 4th, is the deadline for all Term 1 work. Late work handed in after that date will be graded as zero. Please talk to your teachers about what you need to hand in before the last minute!

March Break is March 10-14. We wish you a safe, relaxing, and fun week off, and look forward to welcoming you back on Monday, March 17th!

Have you seen the Black Excellence display on the Art Studio door? If not, you still have the rest of the month to check it out! In honour of African Heritage Month, Graphic Design students designed posters celebrating the achievements of Black creators and innovators who they admire.

You can also check out the posters in our Student Gallery.

During the month of February, the Toronto District School Board proudly recognizes African Heritage (Black History) Month. The chosen theme for 2024-2025 is Lift Every Voice. This theme is taken from the first line of the Black National Anthem. Lift Every Voice encourages collective strength and unity among the African/Black diaspora. A celebration of vibrant and diverse cultures, experiences, perspectives, contemporary realities, contributions, and achievements.