PelhamToday received the following letter to the editor in response to an earlier letter Names matter.
Well done Vilma Moretti for sticking with the issue of naming Wellington Heights school. The DSBN has policies about naming schools. Here it is:
INITIATION OF A REVIEW AND POTENTIAL RENAMING OF A SCHOOL DSBN POLICY A-09
NAMING CRITERIA
To guide the naming of a school, the Naming Committee through an equitable and inclusive lens will consider names that:
Inspire students
Reflect the mission, vision, and values of the DSBN
Reflect the geographic location or the local community in which the school is located
May be symbolic of the unique program focus of the school
Reflect the cultural and racial diversity of the school community
Depict an event that has shaped life in Niagara, Ontario, or Canada
It is difficult to see where the equitable and inclusive lens was looking when Wellington Heights was seen as a name that fulfilled the criteria outlined in this policy.
A popular belief is that we should all be life-long learners. That should include recognizing when an error has been made and conducting a new review that results in a name that can truly be seen as inclusive.
Nigel Evans
Fonthill
