Branksome Hall has been a Downie Wenjack Legacy School since 2020. The Downie Wenjack Foundation works across Canada to engage, empower and connect students and educators in furthering reconciliation through awareness, education and reconciliACTION. This year, all students as well as employees and parents participated in our fourth annual Walk for Wenjack, cumulatively walking the 600 kilometres that Chanie was unable to do himself to reach his family, an experiential activity to reflect on and learn about the history of residential schools.

The same week, students from Grades 4–12 attended a special Assembly where they heard from Sandra Laronde, Founder and Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, a leading company of contemporary Indigenous performance. This assembly was part of our multi-year creative partnership with Red Sky, enriching our students’ understanding of Indigenous knowledge, storytelling and innovation in the Arts.

Sandra Laronde spoke to the community about her personal experience and journey writing her book, She Holds Up the Stars. The story is about a young Indigenous girl searching for a sense of home and finding strength and courage in the gifts she has. The audience was visibly moved by her emotional reading of this powerful story of reconciliation and the interwoven threads that tie us to family, the land, each other and our own sense of self.

On September 30, Branksome further honoured the legacy of residential school survivors by wearing orange shirts to mark Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day inspired by the story of residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad.

As we move forward, we will carry the spirit of these gatherings with us, fostering an environment of understanding and respect for all. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these meaningful events.