École Lord Tweedsmuir
Elementary School

ORANGE SHIRT DAY September 30 -The Province of British Columbia has proclaimed September 30 to be Orange Shirt Day—a day to honour the Indigenous children who survived residential schools and remember those who didn’t. Orange Shirt Day began in Williams Lake, B.C. in 2013 where, at a commemoration event at a local residential school, a story was told about a young female student named Phyllis who had her brand-new orange shirt taken away on her first day at the school. The orange shirt is a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of students and families due to residential schools. Since it began in 2013, the phrase “Every Child Matters” has been used as part of the movement to recognize the value of every child and for communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for future generations. Learn more at www.orangeshirtday.org

Last week, Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary students commemorated Orange Shirt Day by participating in week-long activities and lessons that fostered an understanding around the First Peoples Principles of Learning, along with the impact of residential schools. We focused on the phrase “Every Child Matters” and wore our orange shirt stickers on September 30th to commemorate the day. In our hallways, classes have put up artwork of orange cut-out t-shirts, along with cut-out feathers to recognize the value of every child in their own words. As a school community this week, we will be joining Ms. Danielle virtually from our classrooms, for some storytelling and music to further commemorate the story of Phyllis and to come together in the spirit of reconciliation.