February 18, 2020 (Brockville, ON) – February is Black History Month and Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) schools have taken this opportunity to focus on lessons and activities that spread awareness and educate students of Black history and culture.
A valuable resource that is available to all staff and students is the UCDSB’s Virtual Learning Commons, which has a section dedicated to e-books, videos, websites, and classroom resources that brings Black culture and history to the forefront.
UCDSB schools have been using the VLC resources and have been engaging students in classroom activities for this special recognition month. For example:
Russell Public School has been learning about a famous Black Canadian each morning on the school announcements, and the Grade 6 French Immersion class created a paper quilt with photos, names and the achievements of noteworthy people of colour.
Students from Pineview Public School shared their thoughts on racism and equality in a Facebook video.
Brockville Collegiate Institute and Perth and District Collegiate Institute have been using their social media platforms to share stories of Black Canadians daily.
All of these examples demonstrate ways that UCDSB educators are having conversations and educating students on the impact that Black history and culture has had on shaping society as we know it, as well as highlighting the injustices that took place. Understanding the history will allow for positive change now and in the future.
“Black History Month is an opportunity to continue the conversation about equity and inclusion in our board and broader community,” says Chair John McAllister. “We would like to encourage our families to not only celebrate the great achievements of Black Canadians but also reflect on ways we can contribute to a more inclusive environment.”
For more information, please contact:
April Scott-Clarke
Manager of Communications
Upper Canada District School Board
[email protected]