This week was Reality and Reconciliation Week in Canada. Though formally acknowledged over one week, these are conversations and teachings that ought to occur all through the college yr, not only one week, or in the future. Reconciliation is about constructing relationships and respect, and that simply can’t be decreased to every week.
I wished to share a number of the actions, readings, and discussions I had with my Grade 5/6 class this yr, primarily impressed by this useful resource, Each Baby Issues. After studying the guide Trudy’s Rock Story, and discussing how Trudy makes use of rocks to alleviate her anger and launch her emotions, we determined that making our personal Resilience Rocks may assist us course of a few of our emotions about Canada’s historical past, primarily anger and confusion, and by inserting them again on the Earth, we may launch a number of the emotions and keep in mind to behave.
Tuesday we began portray our rocks orange whereas I learn the story, I’m Not a Quantity. (We used acrylic paint – I might recommend spray paint – we needed to do many many coats of acrylic paint, and them nonetheless seal them). We additionally watch a video from residential faculty survivor, Lillian Elias, after which used orange sticky notes to ship her a message.
Wednesday we sealed the rocks with an out of doors mod podge. We did this BEFORE they wrote on them, in any other case the sharpie marker would pull the paint off after we wrote. We learn the story, Once I was Eight, and wrote some extra reflections on sticky notes.
Thursday was Reality and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day. For artwork within the morning, we checked out lovely examples of Indigenous Artwork and Artists – present and previous. We labored on Canada Goose Drawings, impressed by Benjamin Chee Chee. We selected the Canada Goose as a result of we preferred how they impressed flight – and so they might have to maneuver or go away for a bit, however they all the time come again, stronger. I let the scholars use their laptops to take a look at completely different photographs whereas they drew their very own. These turned out stunningly. Even mine – and I often battle with a stick determine.
We had been speaking about what message we wished to share on Orange Shirt Day on our Resilience Rocks, and had brainstormed an extended listing over the week. Some college students wished to apologize, others wished to ship a phrase of help or power, and a few simply wished to share their beliefs that each youngster actually does matter. We knew we’d inserting the rocks round our faculty yard and college neighborhood and we wished to decide on one thing that may encourage persevering with to unfold this message – that each youngster issues and why we have to perceive why.
Within the afternoon we took a 2.15 km stroll (for the 215 youngsters present in Kamloops) and positioned our Resilience Rocks across the faculty neighborhood. As we walked in our orange shirts, we had been cautious to unfold them out round our route so we may share our messages with our small neighborhood. I informed my college students that in the event that they had been in a position, it might be good to deliver their grown-ups to the place they positioned their rocks earlier, and inform them about our studying and their reflections from the week.
Our final day was spent engaged on the writing reflection, “If I used to be given a $1000 price range to plan an Orange Shirt Day occasion at my faculty, that is what I might do.”
Once more, this was our week of Reality and Reconciliation actions within the classroom, however our conversations will not finish on the finish of the week. This acknowledgement and promise to study the reality will proceed all through our complete yr of curriculum.
If you’re wanting so as to add extra indigenous-themed books and authors to your classroom, HERE is an efficient place to get began.
How had been some methods you noticed Reality and Reconciliation week at your faculty?
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