Remembering, Reflecting, and Growing

On Truth and Reconciliation Day, students across all grades paused to listen, reflect, and honour the experiences of Survivors and the children who never made it home, engaging in meaningful activities that deepened their understanding of this important day.

Grades 2/3 and 5 created rag dolls in honor of Ma’git Poulette, a young girl who once made dolls from scraps while at Shubenacadie Residential School.

In Grade 4 and 5, students watched videos explaining Truth and Reconciliation, listened to the voices of Phyllis Webstad and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, explored some of the Calls to Action, and created a collective orange “leaf shirt” to symbolize the diversity and individuality of every child’s experience.

In Grade 6, students learned about Phyllis Webstad’s story, shared what Orange Shirt Day means to them, designed paper craft shirts, and connected their learning to social studies by discussing the importance of protecting languages and cultural traditions.

Grade 7 students read When We Were Alone, listened to the song “Residential Wreck,” and reflected on why the words “Every Child Matters” are so important. They created orange shirt artwork, expressing their voices through the phrase, “I matter because…”

In the upper grades, learning continued to deepen.

Grade 8 students engaged in conversations about the Indian Act and Residential Schools, while beginning research projects exploring the culture and customs of First Nations communities.

Grade 9 science students explored atoms and matter through both Western and Indigenous knowledge, discovering how practices such as using fire, natural dyes, birch bark, resin, and copper reveal transformations at the atomic level. They created “atomic stories” and presentations connecting Indigenous science with modern chemistry.

Grade 10 Technology and Skilled Trades students explored the Indigenous concept of kinship, our connection to land, people, and nature, and designed symbolic digital prototypes that reflected the values of reciprocity, care, and sustainability. Meanwhile, Grade 10 Civics and Careers students took a walking tour of Ottawa, beginning at Chaudiere Falls, travelling by water taxi to the Museum of History, and learning about Indigenous territory and the history of Residential Schools through both exhibits and storytelling.

Through these activities, students were reminded that Truth and Reconciliation is about more than a single day; it is about listening, learning, and honouring every child’s story, past, present, and future.