Lesson plan altered for Waterloo Region students during National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

KITCHENER -

Students in Waterloo Region are learning how to commemorate the lives lost and the families impacted by residential schools.

St. Luke’s Catholic School was just one school that was integrating the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation into the syllabus.

Students like Gia McCallstroh were reading along with a book, watching a video about the significance of orange shirts, and creating their own mini versions of the shirts.

She says the today was eye opening as they learned about the many lives lost at residential schools across Canada.

“I’m happy and sad at the same time, happy that that’s over and then they’re not doing that anymore,” said McCallstroh. “The kids were probably feeling scared because I couldn’t imagine how young six or seven-year-olds were feeling.”

School staff say that reconciliation starts with education.

“It may be a hard truth for us to hear but I think it’s an important one,” said principal Rosemary J. Kavanagh. “We’re lending a lens of empathy and understanding and really putting a face to the conversation.”

Students were also able to spend time reflecting on the tragic history and compare it to today.

“It makes me feel kind of upset to be Canadian because this has happened,” said grade eight student Brooklyn Martin. “I think kids need to realize how lucky we are and that they can’t take advantage of what they have.”

The Waterloo Region District School Board has dubbed Monday through Thursday as truth and reconciliation week in hopes of keeping the conversation going.

“Set a calendar alert for six months from now and use the time between today and then to challenge yourself to take action towards truth and reconciliation,” a statement from the public board reads in part.

WRDSB suggest actions could be as simple as having a conversation, watching a documentary, or reading a book.