Bloordale Middle School Advisory Council

Coursera Indigenous Canada - Start anytime at no cost! Today I just want to highlight a great learning opportunity which you may or may not have heard about. Today I am talking about the course that became very popular through social media because of the great Canadian actor, Dan Levy! This course is offered on an online platform for free and was created by the University of Alberta. From the site: Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contempo...

This week, Thursday to be exact, our country recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.   This week each day on the blog we will provide resources you and your family can use to better understand what this day means and why it is needed. Many of us are only learning in recent months and years about the atrocities that occurred to our Indigenous communities over the past 155 years and beyond.  Today I am leaving the link that provides the document that contains the 94 Calls Of Action that were developed by the TRC (the Truth and Reconciliation Commission) in 2015. Even at that time many Canadians did not know about the work being done and only as the discoveries that were made this summer and those that continue to be made has these calls come back to light. Our kids are learning in the classroom; as parents and caregivers we have a responsibility to learn and understand and act too! Today take a few minutes to begin reading the Calls To Action and tomorrow I wil...

Today, September 21st is the International Day of Peace as proclaimed by the United Nations.  To learn more about the meaning and important meaning and purpose surrounding this day you can go to their website at  https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace What can we do? Here are some ideas  https://internationaldayofpeace.org/get-involved/                                              

 Its seems like only days ago that we were leaving for summer vacation and already we are less than 48 hours away from the first bell of the 2021/22 school year! This year remains different than most due to the ongoing pandemic but like last year while there are changes, it will be great to see so many more familiar faces in the halls this year (when you see him, be sure to welcome Mr. Tricarico back to Bloordale who was missed last year)!  School starts on Thursday Sept. 9 and a letter went out today with details surrounding the first day and current health protocols that have been set by the TDSB and Toronto Public Health. If you have not received the email you can call the school to verify that the office has your correct email address.  Keep an eye on this space for updates on what School Council is up to, community events that may be of interest, TDSB news, and other fun things that will keep the families in our school community informed and hopefully having some fun...

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/How-to-Get-Involved/Conversations-Series

Did you know that the TDSB celebrates heritage and awareness every month?  This June the school board recognizes the following: - Italian Heritage Month - National Indigenous History Month - Portuguese Speaking Heritage Month - 2SLGBTQ – Pride Month - Filipino Heritage Month

Starting the conversation: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/ https://www.anishinabek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AnOverviewoftheIRSSystemBooklet.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWeH_SDhEYU I Am Not A Number - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2MP5ioGHAc When I Was Eight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-l88X0JVSo These links can be a way to start the conversation of Truth and Reconciliation but so much more must be done. This is just the start of that conversation here but as the days and months go on we will continue and never let the horrors be forgotten. We must work towards a true reconciliation.   " Reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour."  Summary of the Final Report of the Tr...