National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Heschel

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation reminds us of the importance of the connection between land, language, and community, and the consequences that arise when those connections are severed.

Last week at Heschel, each class learned about Truth and Reconciliation. Students learned the significance behind why we wear orange shirts on September 30. The orange shirt symbolizes something sacred that was taken away and the date coincides with the beginning of the school year—a time when many Indigenous children were taken to residential schools.

Students engaged in age-appropriate conversations about how it feels to have something important taken away, and how it might feel to be separated from the people, places, and things that make us feel happy, loved, and connected to our community.

Students also drew handprints to signify the imprint of the past and the positive imprint we can have on each other and the land.

Visit the Heschel Hive to learn more about the day's activities.