Simcoe Composite Secondary School
In a
first-of-its-kind partnership with the Toronto Holocaust Museum, employees
across Grand Erie have the chance to engage with hundreds of historical
resources, aligning with the Ministry of Education's new and expanded learning
about the Holocaust in the grade 6 Social Studies curriculum and grade 10
History curriculum.
The partnership was
designed to provide individuals with the experience to engage in, participate,
and reflect on their own learning at the museum to deepen connections in
relation to the new curriculum, gain further insight into the classroom and to
expand the learning partnership to all departments, system leaders,
parents/caregivers, students, and community members from committees. Upon their
return, many individuals described a profound impact both professionally and
personally.
"The
collaboration with the Toronto Holocaust Museum leverages Grand Erie’s learning
forward by experiencing a cutting-edge immersive experience to understand the
Holocaust and promote civic education and dialogue in an interactive environment
for all.” said JoAnna Roberto, Director of Education "As a learning
organization, our collective vision was to provide a unique opportunity to all
staff and students across the district to make connections, enrich learning
experiences, and further assist educators in teaching about the complex history
of the Holocaust.”
After working primarily with educators, connecting with Grand Erie's wider community provided "an interesting [opportunity] to see how vast the connections are, and to discover how staff will take their learning to work in different shapes and forms," shared Carrie Swartz, Director of Museum Experience.
Professional
development on topics related to the Holocaust, world events, Human Rights and
contemporary Canadian issues is one of the key equity strategies as outlined in
the 2024-25 Annual Learning and Operating Plan and Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
Through district-wide learning opportunities, both in person and virtually, educators will have the tools to implement this critical learning with wraparound support.
