Orange Shirt Day

What is Orange Shirt Day?

 Orange Shirt Day, created in 2013, was born out of the experience Phyllis Webstad had while attending the St. Joseph Mission school. Phyllis is a member of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation and of the Canoe Creek Indian Band located between Kamloops and Williams Lake, BC. 

Why is Orange Shirt Day Important?

Orange Shirt Day honours residential school survivors and provides an opportunity to remember the children who did not survive. All of the things that were taken from Phyllis and many other children are really important to all of us. Family, language, our environment, the way we look and the things we do; they are the things that make us who we are and help us feel safe and secure in the world. It is wrong to take these things away from anyone, especially children. Participating in Orange Shirt Day is our way of making it right, and making sure it never happens again, it is our act of reconciliation, remembrance, and recognition.

We ask that students wear an Orange Shirt on Sept 26th as we will gather in the gym for an assembly to learn more about Phyllis Webstad and how we can make it right moving forward.