A Statement from the Director: Supporting Students

June 23, 2021,

During last night’s (June 22, 2021)  Board of Trustees meeting, Trustees voted in a 4-3 vote against a motion to fly the Pride flag at our schools and board facilities during the month of June.

Please take a moment to read the statement from our Board Chair David Bernier about last night’s decision.

This was a divisive issue at the Board of Trustees level. I know that some in our Board will be disappointed with the outcome of this decision, while others may support it.

I want to take this opportunity to affirm our steadfast commitment to supporting our 2SLGBTQ+ students. We must now work even harder to ensure all of our students, especially our most vulnerable students, feel our love and know that they belong in our school communities. We will not deny their BEING, we will celebrate their unique selves and they will know through our words and actions that they are loved and indeed that they are Wonderfully Made.

We are in the process of renewing our Board’s strategic priorities that will act as a roadmap for us for the next five years. During our extensive consultation period this spring, we heard time and time again about the importance of Equity.

Please know, that Ensuring Equity will be one of our strategic priorities moving forward and that we will distinctly name the 2SLGBTQ+ community in our Catholic Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-being and outline action items to support these students.

We look forward to the Board’s planned Demographic Data/Student Census project this fall, which will gather important data on marginalized groups and provide targeted resources and personnel support to further assist students from a variety of groups, including those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

While there was division at the Board of Trustees table last night about the Pride flag, there was also strong agreement by all trustees that our schools should remain places of love, acceptance and inclusion for our 2SLGBTQ+ community.

I am proud of the efforts our schools have made and will continue to make to ensure all our students, regardless of orientation, are unconditionally loved and supported, and we will continue the great work we are engaged in to foster an inclusive and loving community in all our schools.

Sincerely,

Joan Carragher
Director of Education