Kindness, Connection and Community
What This Commitment Means
We’re building a culture rooted in kindness that strengthens trust, empathy and respect across our organization. This includes supporting grassroots efforts that nurture compassionate spaces, modeling positive and respectful behaviour and deepening relationships among students, staff, families and the broader community so our schools remain welcoming, connected places for everyone.
Highlights from 2025-2026
- Established the Kindness, Connection and Community (KCC) Executive Team to advance this priority through coordinated, board-wide action.
- Continued implementation and expansion of the HDSB Kind initiative through storytelling, student voice, and school and community participation.
- Continued promotion of the We Are HDSB storytelling series to highlight kindness, connection, community, belonging and the experiences of students, staff and families.
- Strengthening belonging, connection and positive school culture through communications, engagement and storytelling initiatives.
- Celebrating Education Week 2026: Recognizing Kindness, Connection and Community
- HDSB schools raise more than $643,000 for cancer research through Relay For Life
- Abbey Park High School students build over 80 devices for children with disabilities
- Arrive and Thrive Conference brings students together to connect and grow
- HDSB and Special Olympics Ontario celebrate success of inclusive sports festival at Milton Velodrome
By The Numbers
As the Have Your Say (HYS) surveys, which includes measures of school climate, were not administered in the 2025-2026 school year, updated quantitative results for the MYSP commitment to Kindness, Connection and Community will be provided in the 2026-2027 MYSP Monitoring Report and CEO’s Annual Report. These indicators include experiences and perceptions of kindness, the prevalence of bullying, overall school climate, and student and staff perceptions of belonging and safety. In the interim, this section highlights implementation successes and progress in advancing this commitment across the HDSB.
What’s Next
- The Kindness, Connection and Community (KCC) Executive Team will be engaging in a research-informed professional learning process.
- Launch The Connection Effect: Service Leadership course for staff to deepen relational leadership.
- Further expand the HDSB Kind campaign, including consultation opportunities and storytelling features.
- Increase targeted prevention and intervention strategies for bullying and strengthen belonging and safety initiatives.
- Continue growing communication channels and community partnerships to support trust and connection.
2025-2026 CEO’s Annual Report Sections
Six Commitments to Student Success
