E.S. Laird Middle School students walked to the Lloydminster Friendship Centre on Friday to celebrate National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
E.S. Laird Middle School students walked together, ate lunch together and observed a moment of silence together.
The bonding was a part of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day exercises at all schools in the Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD) on Friday.
The celebration kicked off at E.S. Laird with a morning school walk to the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre and back, with students dressed in orange to honour residential school survivors, families and communities.
“We felt it was a good way to wrap up the week of learning and the focus we’ve done on our school on reconciliation and on the residential school experience,” said principal Stacey Klisowsky.
About 40 per cent of students at E.S. Laird have self-declared with an Indigenous background to give a whole week of learning about Truth and Reconciliation special meaning.
“We think there’s been a lot of pride in the class conversations we’ve had and the different discussion topics we’ve had at the school,” said Klisowsky.
“Teachers have come back sharing that it has been a really positive experience.”
Everything resonated about Truth and Reconciliation lessons for student Logan Bear, who grew up in Frog Lake, noting he’s originally from Sweetgrass.
He says it’s been all about learning about those who “survived residential schools and people getting over what they went through.”
The school also celebrated the end of Truth and Reconciliation education week with what Klisowsky called a team and classroom feast together.
“We’re doing a potluck splurge so all of our kids will eat together,” she said.
The school also paused for a moment of silence at 2:15 p.m. with every other LPSD school in remembrance of all Indigenous children who attended residential schools over generations.
It includes the 215 whose remains were discovered in Kamloops in 2021.
