September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; therefore, this week we have honoured our Escuela Canyon Meadows Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation made on June 21, 2021:
In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, and in alignment with the CBE Education Plan, Canyon Meadows School acknowledges and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, and makes the following commitment to action for the 2021-2022 school year:
Canyon Meadows students and Faculty members commit to learning through land-based Art and Indigenous stories while going out on the land to connect with:
The Spirit – To Be: our Cultural Identity
The Heart – To Belong: living in Harmony with Self, Others and the Natural World
The Body – To Do: being Independent and Collaborative
The Mind – To Know: developing a Lifelong Learning mindset
In making our commitment, Call to Action # 63 offered inspiration.
This week students and teachers engaged in various activities such as:
- Go out on the land to look for signs of Fall and collect leaves
- Sketch the land – after sketching, students acknowledged and shared gratitude for the land
- Discuss the saying: Every Child Matters
- Indigenous story telling
- Music class outdoors learning to play drums
- Sept. 29 – Orange Shirt Day initiated by a whole school Virtual Assembly where Sra. Bradley and her Kindergarten students demonstrated The Acknowledgment of the Land with hand/arm signals. Sra. Bradley also delighted us with the read aloud of the story: Phyllis' Orange Shirt.
Through land-based art and stories we will continue to learn more about Truth and Reconciliation.
Sincerely,
Sra. Lilien Perera Pérez, Principal
Sra. Cecilia Gutiérrez, Assistant Principal
