National Truth and Reconciliation Day is celebrated on September 30. It is also Orange Shirt Day which was founded in 2014 because of a formal residential student named Phyllis Webstad who wore an orange shirt to the first day of school and had it taken from her. National Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day is about recognizing the harmful impact of the residential school system on children’s self-esteem and well-being. “Every Child Matters” is a message to promote the importance that all children are important, including those children who attended residential schools.
This year, the school is doing a “Feathers of Hope” activity to show our support and continue our work towards reconciliation. First, I read the class the story, “You Hold Me Up” by Monique Gray Smith and Danielle Daniel. Then we discussed how all children should feel, which includes being loved, supported, included, etc). Next, the students each drew a picture of how “someone holds them up.”