Submitted by HWDSB Trustee Maria Felix Miller, Ward 3
Happy Spring to my neighbours in Gibson and Lansdale! It is exciting to be entering a new season in our communities and schools. In March, the Provincial government announced an easing of Covid-19 restrictions and HWDSB has welcomed this direction with caution and compassion for all of our families and staff. Each school community will have different wants and needs. As measures are lifted, activities such as fundraising, volunteering, excursions, and events such as open houses, art performances and spectator sports will be resumed in a thoughtful and gradual way. Adjustments to classroom setups or use of shared materials and spaces will be ongoing and determined at the school level after March Break.
I am looking forward to meeting residents at the Beautiful Alleys Spring Cleanup in April and also want to share an exciting initiative with families in Ward 3: the Children’s Garden Project at Gage Park. Many of our families love to garden, participate in their local neighbourhoods, and want to connect their children to their surrounding natural environment. The Children’s Garden Project is a natural play garden inspired by, designed and created with and for local children, their families, community members, and fellow gardeners. It’s location at Gage Park hopes to connect many families across Wards 2, 3, and 4. They have also run a variety of fun online workshops for children as the project gears up. Anyone interested in learning more or volunteering can check out: childrensgardenproject.com
I have been supporting the conversation around improving access to green space for our Bernie Custis secondary school community. Together with HWDSB facilities staff and Cllr. Nann’s staff at the city of Hamilton, we are reviewing how we can collectively support the school’s athletic and social needs while also maintaining its role in the community. Updates will be shared with the public once available.
I wish all our HWDSB families a wonderful spring season and welcome any questions from our community members. Please feel free to email or call me.
Yours in education, Maria Felix Miller
