October 11th, 2023
We know that regular, accessible and transparent communications are an important part of the partnership we have with the students, families and community members we serve. In fact, our commitment to strengthen connections through family and community engagement is outlined in our Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
WRDSB on Social Media
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) social media channels play a central role in how we engage with those we serve. As the social media landscape is ever-changing, we are always assessing the value of the channels we use. Our aim is to ensure they offer opportunities for meaningful engagement with students and families, while being useful places for you to find information about what’s happening in WRDSB schools.
Changing What We Post on Twitter/X
Everyone at the WRDSB is entitled to safe and inclusive learning and work environments. This extends to the digital community, too.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen a concerning shift in the application of policies and community safety features on the Twitter/X platform. This has led to an increased frequency of posts and comments we know are harmful to members of the WRDSB community.
With this in mind, we will be changing how we use this platform at the corporate level to communicate with students, families and the community. Departments and schools may choose to still use X/Twitter to communicate with those they serve.
We will continue to post
- Emergency information
- Board and Committee of the Whole Meeting information
- Severe weather updates
- Student learning updates
If you’re interested in seeing posts about other topics, including good news stories and highlights of how we are moving the Strategic Plan forward, they will still be available through our other social media channels.
Engaging with Students on Instagram
Communicating directly with the students we serve is an important part of achieving our Strategic Directions. With this in mind, we will be evolving our approach to how we use the @WR_DSB Instagram account.
You’ll begin to see posts speaking directly to students, and a shift away from posts that focus on information speaking to parents, caregivers and community members. This information will continue to be posted on our Threads and Facebook accounts.