Information for Burlington Central School Families & Staff

May 27, 2024

Dear families and staff of Burlington Central School,

We are aware of incidents that occurred at our school during the Arts & Culture event that took place on Thursday evening. At the event, a booth was seen displaying a map of Israel, Palestinian Territories and Jordan, mislabelled as a map of only Palestine and Jordan. Our school does not tolerate the erasure of any nation or identity, and views the erasure of Israel from a map as antisemitic. 

At this event, discriminatory behaviour was also directed toward some students at our school who were targeted by a community member for wearing a keffiyeh and jewelry with a Palestinian flag. This behaviour demonstrates anti-Palentinian racism and is not tolerated in our school.

We are deeply concerned by these events and share our community's concerns that these incidents are harmful and unacceptable. Antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and racism in any form, is not tolerated at our school. The Halton District School Board (HDSB) strongly condemns this behaviour, and all schools are committed to upholding the Human Rights Code. Students have the right to learn in a safe and caring space that is free of bias and discrimination and students have a right to respectfully express their individuality with respect to protected grounds as outlined by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Discriminatory and harmful language and behaviour causes pain and trauma to individuals to whom it is directed and to those who witness and/or share the same identity. We seek to affirm the identities of all students and build a community free from discrimination in all its forms. 

All schools, including Burlington Central School, follow the HDSB Student Code of Conduct and the Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol to provide clear expectations for how we respond when harm is caused. 

Students who wish to talk about how they are feeling or who are in need of support are encouraged to speak, at any time, with a trusted adult including a Teacher, Educational Assistant, Social Worker or School Administration. Further resources are provided below.

Thank you for your partnership in helping make Burlington Central a safe space for all students. 

Sincerely,

Trish Clark

Principal

Burlington Central School

Community Resources and Support

• Students may call the ROCK Crisis Line at 905-878-9785 which is available 24 hours a day/seven days a week, or Kids Help Phone - Call a Counsellor: 1-800-668-6868; Text a Counsellor: 686868; Live Chat: https://kidshelpphone.ca/live-chat/. 

• Students can find mental health and well-being information and resources on their school website or through the HDSB website on the Mental Health & Well-Being webpage.

• Identity-Specific Supports:

  • Black Youth Helpline: 1-833-294-8650

  • COAST (16+): Neuro-inclusive crisis support; 1-877-825-9011  

  • Distress Centre Halton: (All ages) Neuro-inclusive support; 905-849-4541 (Oakville), 905-681-1488 (Burlington), 905-877-1211 (Milton/Halton Hills)

  • Indigenous Hope for Wellness Helpline (12+): 1-855-242-3310

  • Jewish Child and Family Services - 416-638-7800 ext 6234 

  • Kids Help Phone (Up to age 24) Neuro-inclusive support; 1-800-668-6868 text 686868

  • LGBT+ Youth Line: 1-800-268-9688 (call) or 647-694-4275 (text); Online Live Chat, 4 - 9:30 p.m.

  • Multilingual Distress Line: 1-877-298-5444; (TTY) 905-278-4890. Languages served include: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.  

  • Naseeha Helpline (All ages): Muslim support line; 1-866-627-3342 (call) or 1-866-627-3342 (text)

  • ROCK: 24 hr crisis line; Neuro-inclusive support: 905-878-9785

  • Talk4Healing (All ages): Indigenous women’s support and resources; 1-855-554-4325

  • Trans Line: Trans peer support line; 1-877-565-8860