A message of hope for Jane and Finch, carried by a child. Photo courtesy of Jane Finch Community and Family Centre Staff
When the WHO declared the COVID pandemic on March 13, 2020, the lives of billions of people were impacted. The lives of most Canadians changed forever, plunging many people into crisis. For some Canadians there has been a silver lining – no more hours spent commuting, deeper connections with family, increased savings, and for many white collar professionals, they saw their business revenues and salaries increase.
Yet for the residents of Jane and Finch, like those in Malvern, or Agincourt, or Brampton East, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the culmination of 40 years of crisis.
A community design for the hub, made by the Community Action Planning Group (Photo credit: CAPG - York West Chapter)
The Jane and Finch community Hub and Centre for the Arts, a dream of so many in this community has just taken one important step closer to becoming a reality. On Monday April 26, the City of Toronto’s Government and Licensing Committee ratified a report ensuring that the city of Toronto will take possession of a parcel of land on Finch and Norfinch drive where the Jane and Finch Community Hub and Center for the Arts will be built.
Alieka Charley has five kids and is trying to work out how to get ready for e-learning starting Monday. (Photo credit: Janelle Brady)
Only a few days before the March break, which is actually happening in April this year, the Minister of Education was saying schools were safe, only to find out a few hours later that Public Health officials at the City level were pulling the plug on schools because they were indeed not safe. Now, all schools are closed for in person learning indefinitely and we do not know if there will be in person classes again this school year.
Front yard of Elia Middle School. (Photo credit: Matias De Dovitiis)
With the start of school there are always jitters and changes for students and for parents. This year has been compounded by the biggest pandemic in several generations: COVID-19. In fact, at the time writing this, there are still shifting dates for online courses that are making the process even more complicated for parents. Schools are scrambling to do in a couple of weeks, what normally takes the whole summer: assign teachers, create classes and organize curriculum changes.
Toronto Secondary Teachers are on strike! Teachers at Emery Edvance Secondary School and Emery Adult Learning Centre are voluntarily taking their lunch time to spread information about why they are striking. They want the provincial Conservative government, led by Doug Ford, to reverse the cuts to education. Over the past year, Doug Ford has cut education over and over again.
Rabia Khokhar is a Long Term Occasional Elementary Teacher in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. My dad is always reminding people of when I was 4 years old and how I would come home from Kindergarten and play ‘teacher’ with my family members and stuffed toys.”
Rabia is proud to have helped create a library that resonates with the students.
She was born in Pakistan and immigrated to the Downsview area with her family when she was 6. Growing up Rabia spent many hours at the Downsview Public Library. She reflects, “it is such a vibrant and happening place! It has helped solidified my belief in the importance of public libraries for all members of a community. I remember in high school I volunteered for the Leading to Reading Program and wrote for the Scribbles newspaper for teens. I fondly remember hours of sitting, reading books and chatting with friends. Even to this day, every time I visit this library it feels like home.”
This love for libraries and community has turned into a lifelong passion for Rabia. As an educator and librarian, she is very proud to have a library that is the heart of her school’s community.
She explains, “[w]hen designing our library our goals were to have a social justice and equity lens and this meant we wanted to pay attention to the books, physical environment and learning opportunities for our students. We were very lucky to have funding to buy 200 new books for our students which showed diverse people and lived experiences. Our students were so excited to read and see these new books on display! We also wanted to have differentiated learning spaces for our students like a: technology zone, whole group, small group and independent spaces. We wanted our students to be part of creating their learning space, so we got them to help us make the signs and art in our library.”
The support from her Principal allowed for Rabia's success in implementing their library program.
Rabia attributes part of the success in her library to the support she received from her Principal, “I think our library program was successful because of the support from my Principal who really supported all ideas and was excited about them. It is so important to have a vision of the library that aligns with the administrator’s because that really helps to move things forward.”
When she is not working as a librarian and educator, Rabia is pursuing a Master’s in Education at York University. She expresses that this is one of her biggest accomplishments, as it complements the work she does during the day.
Some books that Rabia helped bring to the school.
“I know that a Master’s classroom is a very privileged space, but I think the real accomplishment will be if I am able to take this new learning and language of ‘access’ and ‘translate’ it to those around me whether that’s family, friends and my students.” She is inspired and guided by a quote from Rebecca John and aspires to live as such:
"What did I know about oppression if I read about it in a classroom? Why was what I saw as a ‘revolutionary education’ distancing me from my family? I realized that there was no point in knowing the language of social justice if I couldn't communicate with it to those closest to me"
Rabia paired her master’s education and work to write an article recently published by the Canadian School Libraries Journal. The article outlines Rabia’s school’s journey in designing a Library Learning Commons through an equity lens and what it can look like in one school community. It also discusses the important role of mentors for new teachers like her.
As if Librarian, Educator, and Master’s Student was not enough, Rabia is also working on writing a small picture book. She explains: “As a visible Muslim woman a lot of students ask me ‘Ms.Khokhar what’s that on your head?’ so in some ways I am hoping the book addresses this question in a child friendly way.”
When she looks at the future, she would love to have a permanent teaching position as a teacher-librarian and become an equity coach or consultant.
Read her article about equity and diverse representation here: https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/designing-an-llc-through-an-equity-lens-and-ensuring-diverse-representation/
It is graduation season and it is an honour to share that the ONE City Scholarship went to four young women who are full of promise. Two of the young women who were awarded are a part of the Downsview community and remind us of the brilliance seeded right here in our neighbourhood.
Bernadine Bartlette of Downsview Secondary and Tajeah Noble of C.W. Jeffreys Collegiate were standouts amongst 13 of the candidates from across Toronto that were shortlisted for the ONE City Scholarship. Bartlette and Noble, along with Yusra Habibiy of David and Mary Thomson Collegiate and Abinayaa Parameswaran of Forest Hill Collegiate, were awarded the $2,500 scholarship.
Taejah is a dynamic community-minded student and will be attending Guelph/Humber University to study Family and Social Services with a minor in Justice Studies. Her work as a mentor, a student leader and as a high-achieving academic have brought her high praise from her teachers. It is easy to see why she receives so much high praise especially when Taejah explains, “I must give credit to my barriers as they have shaped me as a person and influenced me to remove those similar obstacles for others in any way that I can.”
Bernadine is a determined student who is graduating from Downsview Secondary School and will be attending Sir Wilfred Laurier University in Kitchener to study Political Science. She has had moments in her life where she wanted to give up, but there is something inside her, a kind of bravery, that will not let her quit. As Bernadine would tell you, “It is an insult to the universe to believe you can predict all possible outcomes, and it's an insult to yourself to give up on goals and aspirations because you don't understand how it will happen.”
The ONE City Scholarship Fund is an initiative of TDSB educators and their community partners in support of remarkable students. Its mandate includes supporting students with scholarships and other supports, communicating with the broader Toronto community about the awesome potential of our youth, and letting our city’s youth, especially those from challenging backgrounds, know that they are to stay encouraged.
Taking on the lens of a compassionate educator, the award was designed to support students that have excelled academically and demonstrate a commitment to their personal growth despite facing significant challenges in their daily life. When the minimum wage was scheduled to increase to $15/hour it was determined that a $2,500 award, which is distributed over a two-year period, would help students reclaim 100 hours of their school year. They could use those hours to focus on their studies or carve out much needed time for self-care.
More urgently, and in the context of cuts to student grants and loans which the current government has cut by $670-million, the scholarship is a measure of upholding the right to education by prioritizing equity seeking students in their post-secondary journey.
The Fund is administered by Toronto Foundation, a community foundation that enables the philanthropy of individuals, families and groups across the city. The ONE City Scholarship Fund is also supported by Toronto Foundation for Student Success and is led by educators.
On the eve of April 4th, hundreds of students across Ontario made posters and rallied support for when they collectively walked out of their classrooms to protest cuts being made to their education. A few weeks ago, Education Minister Lisa Thompson and Premier Doug Ford announced over $1 billion in cuts to our public education.These cuts will mean 1000 fewer teachers in our classrooms just here in Toronto, class sizes of up to 40 students, inadequate support for children in Special Education programs including those with autism, and 4 compulsory online classes for high school students. Students all over our province will feel the pressure and inadequacy of our public schools as their classroom sizes continue to inflate and their education is used as a means to “balance” the budget. Minister Thompson justified these cuts by insisting that the lack of resources and help from teachers will make children “more resilien[t].” This argument is neither based in fact nor logic. Students attend school to learn – if teachers do not have the capacity to teach, they will fall through the cracks. The reality is that parents and private services, like tutoring, will have to fill in these gaps in support. However, this asks: who will have access to help?Low-income families and parents who do not have the resources nor time to help their children with homework and who cannot afford tutoring services will experience the most inequitable aspects of our education system. Children who recently immigrated and students whose parents are not familiar with the education system or have English as a Second Language will be at a further disadvantage.Modern Canadian society often identifies education, or access to a good education, as the great equalizer. It is touted as a way for those from marginalized groups to have access to the “middle class.” This dream, or ideal, is getting further and further out of reach. Over the last couple of decades, subsequent governments have grossly underfunded our education system. Cuts to education under the Conservative Harris Government and the funding freezes of the subsequent 15 years of Liberal government have created the conditions for a perfect storm here in Ontario.Classroom sizes were already inflated, and funding freezes have led Ontario schools to have over $15 billion in repair backlog. Minister Thompson and Premier Ford are taking a bad situation and making it worse. Instead of investing more into our education, they want to cut over $1 billion from our schools. What is most disheartening is that some of the same Conservative Caucus members supporting these cuts are the ones who send their children to private schools where the teacher-student ratio is 6:1 – allowing their children to get the help and assistance they need to succeed.Access to good education should not be reserved for those who can afford $25,000 private school tuition.If we truly believe in a just and equitable society, we need to ensure our public education system is funded so teachers and support staff are well-equipped to help any child succeed. Make no mistake – cuts to public education hurt all who attend public school. These cuts will further deepen the divide in our city and province across lines of income and race. We must stand up and speak out against the Ontario Government’s cuts. If you are interested in taking action, please sign Progress Toronto’s petition and send an email to your local MPP, the Minister of Education, and Premier Ford! Check it out here: www.progresstoronto.ca
In a political climate where scarcity is often assumed, and in a community that is often unfairly characterized by needs and problems, the real assets of a community can often get overlooked.One of those incredible community assets in the Jane Finch area is the work of Benjamin Osei and the Hoop 2 Hope boys’ basketball program.Hoop 2 Hope has two divisions; one for high school boys and the other for elementary and middle school students. The high school boys gather on Fridays from 6pm to 10pm at Westview Secondary School south gym, and the younger group meets Saturdays 6pm to 9pm at Oakdale Community Centre. These programs run from September through June.There is plenty of basketball at each meeting, but the program’s goal is to walk with boys in their journey to becoming men. To do that, the program includes the services of many volunteers. These volunteers are older men who are further on in the journey of life and have a wealth of experience and knowledge. The idea is for men to walk with boys through the most formative years of their lives.The boys who participate come to play ball, and they get to do a lot of that, but the leaders also take time to help them develop some skills that will help them navigate their everyday world. The leaders talk with boys about developing their character in real life situations. Boys are finding different ways to respond to difficult circumstances. They learn how wisdom, perseverance, self control, compassion, gentleness and other values can make them better persons and how that will make the world a better place. All of this basketball and conversation culminates in an annual rite of passage celebration. The boys’ chronological development is acknowledged and celebrated at ages 13 and 18. Instead of stumbling or falling into manhood, the boys and the community around them stop, recognize, and celebrate their movement from a boy to a man.Hoop 2 Hope knows that it is just one piece of each boy’s life. The program actively seeks to partner with families, schools and community centres. So beyond the doors of the gym, leaders like Benjamin are at work with young men as they make their way from boys to men.Benjamin and Hoop 2 Hope are one of this community’s finest assets. They are an asset that is producing real capital, the next generation of community and world leaders.
For Abdulkadir Nur, the issue of violence in the community matters.“It always seems to overshadow all the good that happens in communities,” says the Jane-Finch native who added that all residents of a neighbourhood are affected by the stigma of crime. “The idea of community violence puts a target on the whole community whereas in reality, it may just be a concentrated set of individuals contributing to all the crime and violence.”Abdulkadir is one of four ‘mentors’ that will lead the Community Healing Project; it is a five-year federally funded project that will seek to make interventions in the lives of youth living in neighbourhoods that have witnessed violence.In addition to the ‘mentors’, some 250 ‘healers’ will be trained over the life of the project to do outreach in the same neighbourhoods in order to provide a space to discuss issues such as mental health, provide supports for services and employment as well as building trust and relationships.According to the City of Toronto, more than a 1,000 youth stand to benefit from the project and the projectr is in partnership with Stella’s Place, a non-profit youth mental health organization, and local organizations.At a December press conference to announce the program’s launch, Canada’s Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair defended the program and the federal funds being put towards it."The program that we are funding today will make a real and lasting and positive difference in these kids' lives," Blair said. As a graduate of the program’s pilot himself, Abdulkadir says the program also provides space for youth to look at how they can contribute to making their neighbourhoods safe.“This program will help youth affected by violence by giving them an opportunity to be heard and voice their opinions on what is going on in their given communities and what they believe to be the reason for the violence.”The issue of gun violence once again came into spotlight in 2018 after a record 51 gun-related homicides were recorded in the year.In September however, Police told residents at a community event in Jane and Finch that firearm incidents were down in the area.
