On September 30th Canadians will recognize the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Algoma District School Board (ADSB) will be commemorating the day, also known as Orange Shirt Day, to honour the children who survived residential schools and to remember those who did not.
We will take time to honour this special day and all it stands for with many schools beginning the day with a Morning Land Acknowledgement and a moment of silence. Schools and other board buildings will fly their flags at half-mast for the week. We are encouraging students and staff, especially those in Grade 5 to 12, to access virtual presentations being offered all week by the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation. On a local level, we have a virtual presentation from Dolly Syrette, a grandmother, author, and residential school survivor from Batchewana First Nation available to our students.
In June of this year, Algoma District School Board reaffirmed our commitment to Indigenous partners and reconciliation, following the uncovering of unmarked graves. We committed at that time and we continue to commit to valuing our partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations, to building and strengthening these partnerships across our school communities and to ensuring that all students learn about Indigenous perspectives within the curriculum, including the history and impact of residential schools.
Orange bracelets will be made available to staff and students for purchase by donation. All proceeds will go to the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association who we continue to collaborate with, supporting truth and reconciliation actions and activities. The Association has connections to communities throughout the Algoma District including Sault Ste Marie, Chapleau, and Spanish.
In addition, ADSB will further engage the voices of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth in the ADSB Northern Indigenous Youth Council to further understand and enhance their lived experiences within our schools.
We invite our communities to join us by wearing orange on September 30th, or by pausing for a moment to remember the solemnity of the day and as a way to remember the effects of residential schools and the legacy they have left behind. Only by working together, with Indigenous students, families, communities and partners, can we fully understand our history and our present, and build a positive future for everyone.
- Hydro One and nine First Nation partners break ground on Waasigan Transmission Line project - November 22, 2024
- Mixed Curling Standings – November 22 - November 22, 2024
- New NPI Publication: Delivering Solutions: An Action Plan for Sustaining Rural Birthing in Northern Ontario - November 22, 2024