At Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board our vision is All students prepared and empowered for the possibilities of today and tomorrow. Our focus on ALL students is reflected in our priority of Achieving Excellence & Equity. In addition, Creating welcoming, inclusive, safe and accepting learning environments is a Well-Being goal in the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. Being mindful of events or actions is a way to contribute to this.
Across Canada, September 30 is recognized as Orange Shirt Day. It is a time to acknowledge people who attended residential schools. Participating indicates our collective spirit of reconciliation and hope for future generations. The date was chosen because it is the time of year when children were taken from their homes and moved to residential schools.
Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters, is an outcome of the St. Joseph Mission Residential School commemoration event that took place in Williams Lake, B.C. There, residential schools survivor Phyllis Webstad shared how, at the age of six, her new orange shirt was taken away the day she arrived at the Mission school. From that moment on, the color orange represented pain, loss and trauma for Webstad. She was haunted by the color throughout her life.
Today, the orange shirt, once associated with loss of belonging and self-worth, is now becoming the symbol of recognition of people who attended residential schools. With time and continued awareness, it is also a step towards reconciliation and a commitment to ensure that every child matters.
For this year, Orange Shirt Day will be recognized on Thursday, September 28, 2017, due to the PA Day on Friday, September 29, 2017.
Please join in recognizing Orange Shirt Day this Thursday.
For more information, contact:
Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, 613-966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350, extension 2354, [email protected]