EMSB schools and centres to mark National Truth and Reconciliation Week, Orange Shirt Day

Schools and centres across the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) will be recognizing National Truth and Reconciliation Week as well as Orange Shirt Day, ensuing that students learn about the injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation by the residential school system.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, most students will engage in various classroom activities focused on building understanding and reflection upon the important issues of aboriginal rights, residential schools, and truth and reconciliation of events in our history.

Other activities are as follows:

September 22:

Mackay Centre School in NDG: Residential school survivor Elder Liza Thomas will retell her story and speak to Grade 5 and 6 students about the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation. Time and format T.B.D.

September 23:

Gerald McShane Elementary School in Montreal North: A Residential school survivor will retell her story and speak to Grade 6 students about the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation. Time and format T.B.D.

Mountainview & Mile End High Schools: Residential school survivor Elder Liza Thomas will retell her story and speak to youth about the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation. Time and format T.B.D.

September 24:

Dunrae Gardens Elementary School in TMR: Residential school survivor Elder Liza Thomas will retell her story and speak to Grade 5 and 6 students about the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation. Multidisciplinary artist Moe Clark will perform.  Her last solo album “Within” toured across North America and her video poem “nitahkôtan” won best indigenous language music video at the ImagiNative Film Festival. Time and format T.B.D.

September 28:

Coronation Elementary School in Cote des Neiges: Michelle Wouters, a residential school survivor, will retell her story and speak to children about the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation. Time and format T.B.D.

September 30:

Honoré Mercier Elementary School in St. Leonard: Cycle III students will be creating Orange Shirt Day t-shirts with words of peace written on them in several Indigenous languages. Time T.B.D.

FACE (Elementary and High School) downtown: A Grade 7 student will be organizing a ribbon distribution for all youth in the school. Time T.B.D.

Westmount High School: Every English Class will learn about Residential schools through text and video testimonials, write a reflection, and then write onto an orange heart part of their reflection. The 900 hearts will adorn the stairwells through the rest of the year. Time T.B.D.

About the English Montreal School Board

With a youth and adult sector population of more than 35,000 students, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is the largest English public school board in Quebec. Established on July 1, 1998, when the province created new boards along linguistic lines, the EMSB network consists of 77 schools and centres. For more details, visit the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca.