June 14th, 2021

Dear Silverheights families:

The last few weeks have not been easy. First we heard the news from Kamloops, BC about the remains of 215 Indigenous children that were found in one of the old residential school buildings. Shortly after that, just as we seemed to have finally caught our breath, the news from London, ON of the Muslim family that was killed put all of us into trauma-response mode again.

First of all, to all the families with cultural ties to these two groups, our community wants to extend our sincere condolences. Although I cannot relate directly to these two particularly horrific events, I do know somewhat what this pain feels like. As a Latina woman, I remember quite clearly the fear, the hurt and the many sleepless nights when Latino families (and children) were being brutally separated and segregated south of the border not that long ago. I also have many beloved friends here in the Waterloo Region who identify with both communities: the FNMI and the Muslim communities.

I want to take the time to also explicitly explain to all of you how we chose to respond to these events here at Silverheights, beyond lowering our flag at half-mast. Our main concern was, of course, our students. Our team responded as fast as we could and these are some of the strategies that were put in place:

  • We cancelled announcements and O, Canada during the week following the news from Kamloops as a way to make space for reflection, silence, and mourning.
  • We directed our teachers to several resources that could be used to explain the topics of residential schools, and how to approach it in a way that was age appropriate. We also asked them to do things mindfully, and to respect their own comfort with the topic in order to not cause any further trauma.
  • We resumed announcements on the following week, with some modifications. Our daily territorial acknowledgement now includes some explicit reflections and teachings about residential schools and O, Canada is now being done visually from a playlist curated to portrait the richness of this country, through the people who have chosen this land to lay their roots, along with the Original People of this land.
  • On the Sunday night of the news from London, ON we directed teachers to respond carefully and sensitively to the issue. We encouraged them to read books about peace, safety, belonging, and to give space to any family that needed to mourn this collective grief.
  • We also asked teachers to refrain from approaching the subject directly with their students, unless the students brought it up themselves as a way to be mindful of everyone’s need to deal with this painful trauma differently.
  • We have also embraced a student-led idea where we will be creating a memorial with rocks in our front gardens, making space for conversations and lessons about Truth and Reconciliation. Next year, it is our hope that teachers will use this Peace Garden as an outdoor classroom, where stories about truth and reconciliation, migration, and belonging can be read in an environment that also feels healing. You will get more detailed information about how to participate in this initiative shortly.
  • We were also given this document today, with Community Support for Muslim Students and Families. This was sent to us by one of the WRDSB Human Rights Officers and we were encouraged to share it with all of you.

We fully recognize that so many in our community are hurting right now. Please do not hesitate to contact us at our school or to speak directly to your child’s teacher, if you need some guidance or clarity in how to access the right supports within our system. We are all here for you and we are going through all of this with you, as a school community that cares deeply about your children.

Sincerely,

Ms. Carolina Miranda – Vice-Principal