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Letter From Superintendent To NVSD Community

The North Vancouver school district has issued an apology to First Nations communities along with students, parents and staff for "highly inappropriate and insensitive" remarks made by a trustee at a recent school board meeting.

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The Vancouver Sun
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153 views1 page

Letter From Superintendent To NVSD Community

The North Vancouver school district has issued an apology to First Nations communities along with students, parents and staff for "highly inappropriate and insensitive" remarks made by a trustee at a recent school board meeting.

Uploaded by

The Vancouver Sun
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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May 25, 2021

Dear Students, Staff, Parents and Guardians,

I am writing you today in response to comments made by one of our school Trustees at the May
18, 2021 North Vancouver Board of Education Public Board Meeting that are unacceptable, highly
inappropriate and insensitive, and left those in attendance feeling hurt and troubled.

The North Vancouver School District is committed to our shared values of creating learning
environments where all staff and students feel welcome, safe, included, understood and
appreciated. As a District, we recognize we learn from our collective actions, and we address and
acknowledge them when we fall short.

The Trustee is deeply remorseful for their choice of words and will offer a public apology at the
June 22, 2021 Public Board Meeting. The Board of Education, on behalf of the North Vancouver
School District, has written to the Chiefs and Councils of the Skwxwú7mesh, Tsleil-Waututh and
Métis Nations of British Columbia, and has offered its most sincere apology for the incident. This
apology is offered to the Nations’ members and the Indigenous students, educators, and staff
who contribute so much to our school district community. You can read the full letter HERE.

In the letter, the Board has also reaffirmed the District’s commitment to strengthening relations
with Indigenous rights holders and community members, and has respectfully asked for their
continued guidance, support, and patience as we learn from this incident and move forward with
courage.

We are proud of the relationship we have developed with Indigenous rights holders and
community members, and we highly value and rely on this relationship as we continue on our
journey of truth and reconciliation. We also acknowledge we have much work to do. Therefore,
today, and during Anti-Racism Awareness Week, I ask all of you to join me as we recommit to
continuing our journey toward truth, healing and reconciliation so together, we do better and
provide more for every member of the North Vancouver School District community.

Sincerely,

Mark Pearmain
Superintendent, North Vancouver School District

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