In recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Chaplaincy students at St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy created a meaningful display in the school atrium to honour the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools.
The display featured children’s shoes painted orange, representing children taken from their homes, often suddenly and without choice. The empty shoes serve as a powerful reminder of the children who never returned home, while also honouring the survivors, families, and communities who continue to carry the lasting impacts of the residential school system.
As students entered the school, they received a short written explanation of the display and a piece of orange ribbon. Students were invited to tie the ribbon onto their own shoes as a visible sign of remembrance and solidarity. This simple action connected each student personally to the message of the day, reminding us that reconciliation requires more than remembering the past. It calls us as a society to listen, learn, and walk forward together.
Through the work of the Chaplaincy students, led by Ms. Trabona, and the participation of the school community, the display encouraged students and staff at St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy to pause, reflect, and remember that Every Child Matters.
