National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Since 2020 September 30 has been designated as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, though the day has been commemorated as Orange Shirt Day for a decade. The symbol of the orange shirt came about after residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad shared her story, and remembered a new orange shirt that she had been gifted for the first day of school, which was taken away from her. The orange shirt has since become ubiquitous with the commemoration of all residential school survivors and a commitment to sharing their stories as we work toward reconciliation.
and lead them through a series of reflection questions which made note of how the students felt while connecting with Mother Earth, how they experienced the changing of seasons while on the land, or how they could commit to protecting and preserving nature for future generations. Student buddies concluded the activity by sitting together and drawing pictures to encapsulate their experiences.
In the days leading up to September 30 students in the Prep and Upper School were provided with prompts to help them spark conversation with their younger buddies
Gillian Potts-Hemingway, Preschool Director Erika Gillespie, Greg Ryerson, Leen-Jan van ‘t Hof, Directors of Teaching and Learning
The Preschool ran a separate programme on the day, in conjunction with the programming across the other divisions. Together they sat in a circle, connected as a BG Last year Bayview Glen staff and faculty had the community, and shared their own specially crafted Land opportunity to learn from Dr. Hopi Martin, PhD. Ojibwe Acknowledgment. Students sang a song with their Developmental Psychology and Education Oshkaabewis teachers and concluded their moment of connection (Sacred Helper, Messenger, Fire Keeper, Lodge and reflection by tying orange wish ribbons to the fence. Caretaker). His work focuses on the importance of This was done as an act of honouring with respect, connection to the land, and the inherent value in learning kindness, and gratitude the land on which we learn and alongside members of our community from different come together, and recognizing those who came before age groups. In keeping with this teaching our whole us and the current caretakers of our land. school activities this year were centered around students connecting with one another, with older students guiding As a community, we were reminded of how fortunate we and supporting younger students. are to have access to the land surrounding the School in our location alongside the Don River Valley and Betty On the day students from JK-Grade 12 gathered with Sutherland Trail. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass: one another, two grades together, to spend time on the Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the land connecting with Mother Earth. They read aloud our Teachings of Plants Robin Wall Kimmerer shared a quote land acknowledgement and took time to learn about that reads “When we call a place by name, it is transformed each other and connect as peers. As a group the from wilderness to homeland.” As we look forward to students walked the land together, reflecting on the future learning alongside one another, we also look forward theme for this year’s National Day for Truth and to coming to know our place on the land better as it is Reconciliation — Honouring Survivors. transformed from wilderness to our homeland.
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January 2024
