On September 30th, while we are still thinking so much about this back-to-school time of year, we recognise and remember that so many indigenous children in Canada were taken from their families to attend residential schools. We are called to listen to the stories of survivors of residential schools, to remember those who did not survive, and to strive to make our schools places where we listen to and value others.
In our classrooms and at our assembly, we retell Phyllis Webstad’s story of her first day at residential school. We talk about how we can make our school a place where kids can keep the kind of excitement about school that Phyllis had before that feeling was taken from her along with her shiny new orange shirt. Kids matter to us, and we want them all to know it.
photo from the Province of British Columbia CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Whether you are able to join us for our assembly at 9:15 AM or not, we hope you will join us in listening to stories like Phyllis’s and in helping to make September 30th a day of reconciliation and hope.
