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September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On September 26th, 2022 the Greater Essex County District School Board held a ceremony to raise the Every Child Matters flag at the Administration Office. We would like to thank Dr. Clara Howitt, Director of Education Erin Kelly, FNMI Student Support Worker Adrian Klein, Walkerville C.I. students Kaylen Williams and Serena Young, Kennedy Collegiate student Drake Johnston and his sister Kara, their families, members of the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee, staff and everyone else who joined us to honour all Residential School survivors and those who never made it home.
The Every Child Matters Flag will be raised at all GECDSB schools for the full week.
A Message from the Director of Education
We cannot change the past.
Our obligation is to honestly acknowledge history and be accountable – accepting those things that were undeniably wrong and doing our best to atone for mistakes - even if we were not personally or directly responsible.
To ignore or discount the injustices of the past and their lasting harm would be to compound those mistakes.
Instead, we pursue reconciliation with Indigenous people – specifically for Canada’s residential school system.
That is something that needs to be done one community at a time…by individuals as well as governments and organizations.
Which is why we fly an Every Child Matters flag throughout this week, culminating in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th.
It is also why we have compiled learning resources for teachers to use in their classes – so that young people will understand and appreciate the meaning, purpose and importance of reconciliation.
The past cannot change but people can through meaningful education.
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