On September 30th, we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada. It is also a day to learn more about the history of those schools. Today, it is also known as Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The “orange shirt” in Orange Shirt Day refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school at a residential school in British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned.
The message that Phyllis wants to pass along on Orange Shirt Day — and every day — is that every child matters. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and to fight racism and bullying.
There are many ways you can get involved!
- Wear an orange shirt on September 30th.
- Share Phyllis’ story.
- Trace your hand and write something on it that you can do to help others feel like they matter.
- Read books by Indigenous authors. My favourite books are shown below!
Looking to share picture books authored by Indigenous authors? Each of the shown books are featured in my resource. There are comprehension checks, writing prompts, and response to literature activities for each of the NINE books!
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