Month: September 2022

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Our school will be closed tomorrow, September 30th, in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Please be sure to take some time to consider why this is more than just a day off from school. Learn more about what “Truth and Reconciliation” means. Learn more about the history of the residential schools system and the horror of its legacy, the effects of which are still felt in Canada now and will be into the foreseeable future.

Listen to Phyllis Webstad tell her story, learn more about residential schools, the history of Orange Shirt Day, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
(source: orangeshirtday.org)

Education is a vital piece in the pursuit of Truth and Reconciliation. Here are links to just some of the many online resources that are available so that you can learn more.

Find out more:

Orange Shirt Day

Thursday is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in recognition of the terrible history and ongoing legacy of Residential Schools in Canada.  School will be closed tomorrow, so today we observe Orange Shirt Day.   

Listen, read, watch, discuss and learn about the impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples and on all of Canadian society.  Encourage all Canadians to join together in the attempt to follow a path of Reconciliation.

Come down to the School Library to browse through our collection of materials related to Orange Shirt Day:

You can also browse through this Destiny Collection on your computer, phone or other device by clicking here.

Orange Shirt Day

Wear an orange shirt to school on Thursday, September 29

September 30th is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. Our school, most public institutions around the province, and many public institutions around the country, will be closed. At Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, we encourage all students and staff to wear an orange shirt in school on Thursday, September 29, as well as on September 30th.

source: Province of British Columbia

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established as the Canadian government’s formal recognition of the importance of Orange Shirt Day, observed on September 30 over most of the last decade, as part of the overall effort of raising awareness and provoking discussion about the impact of Residential Schools in Canada, and finding the path toward reconciliation.

Shanah Tovah!

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year feast and celebration.

source: CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Jewish Calendar is a lunar calendar, therefor the dates of Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays will vary according to the Gregorian Calendar (the standard calendar used in most of the world for politics, business and daily life.)  In 2022 Rosh Hashanah begins at Sundown on September 25 and ends at nightfall of September 27.

Shanah Tovah!

Autumnal Equinox

This year the Autumnal Equinox, also known as the September, Autumn or Fall Equinox, takes place at 6:03 PM (PDT) on September 22.  The sun will appear directly over the equator at that time.

Summer ends.

Autumn begins.

source: National Geographic

Find out more:

International Day of Peace

source: UN

From the United Nations: “Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms.  It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.”

Find out more:

United Nations International Day of Peace

Libraries For Peace

The Peace Foundation Aotearoa/New Zealand

United States Institute of Peace

Norm Macdonald

One year ago today, the world lost a comic legend. Norm MacDonald died on September 14, 2021. Norm Macdonald, a Canadian born in Quebec City, was a stand-up comedian and a performer on television and in movies. Norm was a frequent talk show guest and was beloved by such luminaries as David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, both of whom regarded Macdonald as a comic genius. Norm Macdonald was 61.

Norm Macdonald with his guest, David Letterman (left)
source

SSLAC Meeting on Friday

The Student School Library Advisory Council will have their first meeting of the year on Friday, September 16th, at lunch, in the School Library. All students who are interested in joining this group, or at finding out more about it, are invited to attend.

The Student School Library Advisory Council is looking for students at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary who can help shape YOUR School Library. Speak up and help the School Library to be the very best that a School Library can be.