| Estimadas familias, Truth and Reconciliation Week … Orange Shirt Day AssemblyWork to build understanding about the generational impact of residential schools on our indigenous communities takes time. As public educators, we shoulder responsibility to provide access to instruction so that at an appropriate age and stage, our students can learn about all facets of our history so that we can continue to repair past injustices, as well move forward in a good way. During our recent system leadership meeting, the above image, which is located on the Government of Canada's website for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, was shared with us. The symbolism of the image is powerful and I would like to share some of it with you.
- The narwal, eagle and flower represent our Inuit, First Nations and Metis communities respectively.
- The stars, represent the children who never made it home from residential schools
- The pathway, representing the road to reconciliation
- Orange smoke, represents Indigenous traditions, spirituality, inclusion and diversity
(Source: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1631130192216/1631130220404) In our classrooms, teachers often use stories, in the form of picture books, to teach children about complex topics. Our oldest students have begun to take up this work in a variety of ways. As you know, our grade 4's are leading the Orange Shirt Day assembly. They have also created artwork that represents the Heart Domain (To Belong)/ El Corazón (Yo soy parte de…) through a beautiful collaboration across our two classrooms.
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