To honour Truth and Reconciliation Day this year, Pleasant Valley talked about the ability to write their own story and to have courage to speak from the heart. This honours each individual’s voice and connects with the idea that every child matters and each voice is important.
The week was spent doing school wide activities that included making fry bread, a directive drawing about the eagle and how it represents courage, respect, wisdom and strength. The school also participated in lacrosse and everyone was able to try it out. Lacrosse dates back as it was one of the first sports played by Indigenous peoples. It is referred to as the medicine game, which is both healing and spiritual.
Pleasant Valley Speaks from the Heart
Pleasant Valley Elementary created this in June as a school wide activity on National Indigenous Peoples Day. Each class was given one row to complete. Together they created this piece of art, that is kept in the foyer. In anticipation for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, they were discussing more and more about having the courage to speak from the heart.
Truth and Reconciliation Week at Bayview Elementary
During Truth and Reconciliation week at Bayview, the morning announcements included information about Truth and Reconciliation. There have also been lessons in classrooms.
To end the week, there was a full day of activities, starting with a Clan ceremony where students were sorted into 1 of 8 multi-aged animal Clans in hul’qumi’num. Students stayed in these clans for the day and will throughout the year.
There were activities such as an Every Child Matters Walk around the school neighbourhood, making orange shirts, story-telling, and creating a whole-school orange paper chain. There was a feast together in the gym and the day ended with a drum circle on the field.
As part of the school goal, staff has also been working on increasing the use of hul’qumi’num everyday. Here, the staff have created a video with each of introducing themselves in hul’qumi’num!
Ladysmith Schools Honour Together
Ladysmith Primary, Ladysmith Intermediate and Ladysmith Secondary gathered together in a circle at Ladysmith Secondary in honour of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Students and staff were singing, dancing and drumming. There were also guest speakers during the event.
Nanaimo District Secondary School
Some of NDSS’s French Immersion students put this together for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The French words are translated to Every Child Matters!
McGirr Elementary
In honour of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, McGirr staff and students were drummed in by staff and student Cadan during a whole-school assembly.
École Hammond Bay Elementary
During the week leading up to the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, students and staff at École Hammond Bay were honoured to have Michelle Sokolowski coming to make devil club necklaces. Michelle hand harvested and prepared enough devils club to create necklaces with all of the classes. Classes met in buddy groups throughout the day to learn the history and meaning of the necklaces.
On Friday, all staff and students gathered outside in a large circle wearing the necklaces. Grade 7 students were drumming and Mr. Bamford guided the entire school during the singing of the equality song gifted to our district by Patrick Aleck.
École North Oyster Elementary
Students and staff were participating in activities and events to honour the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. It was a sea of orange.
