Orange Shirt Day (September 30th) is a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada. The “orange shirt” in Orange Shirt Day refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned.
The message that Phyllis wants to pass along on Orange Shirt Day — and every day — is that every child matters. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and fight racism and bullying.
Orange Shirt Day is an important day. The message that every child matters was our focus. We are all made in God's image with boundless love and incredible care.
We read several stories over the past few days that helped us explore and appreciate our Indigenous history and culture in Canada.
One story that resonated with us was My Heart Fills with Happiness, written in both English and Plains Cree by a Canadian author and illustrator. It highlights the simple joys in life, and connects beautifully with our districts theme this year, "choose joy".
Our exploration of Orange Shirt Day was rich with learning, and will continue throughout the year as we continue to honour our Indigenous history in Canada.
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