September 30, 2020

Phyllis Webstad, who attended a residential school in British Columbia in the 1970s,
started Orange Shirt Day in 2013. Phyllis was initially excited to go to school and went shopping
with her granny to pick out a new outfit for school; she chose a shiny orange shirt. That shirt
was taken away from her when she arrived at residential school and was never returned to her.
On September 30th Canadians wear an orange shirt to demonstrate the commitment to
reconciliation and opening and continuing the dialogue about residential schooling.
The slogan for Orange Shirt Day is “Every Child Matters”. It is important educators are
aware of this focus as in the early grades this curriculum focuses on what it means to matter
and how children matter in our communities.