We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.鈥

~ Pope Francis


At HCDSB, we teach our students that each of us is made in the image and likeness of God, and that we are called to see each other through God鈥檚 eyes 鈥 with sensitivity, compassion and respect. It is not enough to say we are not racist, we must be anti-racist. Our commitment extends beyond providing support through words on the sidelines. We need to become 鈥榓ccomplices鈥 to dismantle systemic inequity and racism in our community, and this means rolling up our sleeves to work alongside our staff, students and families to put an end to racism.


What Are We Doing to Address Racism at the System Level? 

At a system level, we are committed to building capacity and systemic change through inclusive policies and procedures. Even our 91pro视频 of Trustees regularly participate in Human Rights and Equity training, as we believe that a commitment to equity and inclusion must be modelled through leadership.  

Our Policy on Equity and Inclusive Education identifies a number of key areas of focus that guide the work we undertake as a school district to address and dismantle discrimination, biases and systemic barriers in order to support the achievement and well-being of our students.


What Are We Doing to Address Racism in Our Schools? 

At the school level, we will keep challenging all staff and students to critically examine and address systemic injustice and inequity in society, and we will continue encouraging students to speak up on issues around anti-racism including anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and many other forms of oppression.

At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, we held a professional development session for HCDSB staff on聽Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Schools.聽

View the Session Here

Our work is not done. We will keep working with all members of our community to explore ways to create a culture of inclusion in our school so that each and every one of our students can feel a deep sense of belonging.


Supports for Students and Families

Dealing with traumatic events that include acts of hate such as anti-Black racism can be very emotionally taxing, most especially on youth. Please do not hesitate to contact your School Principal if your son or daughter is struggling and requires support from our school social worker.


Culturally Relevant Mental Health Supports  

  • :  905-842-2486, ext. 281
  • : 1-833-294-8650 
  • : 416-644-3536
  •  416-439-9009