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Orange Shirt Day and Truth and Reconciliation

The story

30 September 2026

Kindergarten children dressed in orange for Orange Shirt Day
Kindergarten children in orange stand in front of their classroom jungle display
Children in orange sit together on the classroom carpet
A classroom wall covered in orange paper shirts reading “This is mine”
A child holds up the orange paper shirt he decorated
A student in orange works on his paper shirt
A student colours his orange shirt at his desk
A boy in an orange top shows his finished shirt
A student writes on his orange shirt during the lesson

On 30 September Maplewood recognised Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Our students wore orange and took part in age-appropriate learning and reflection about an important part of Canadian history.

Occasion
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Message
Every Child Matters

Why we wear orange

As a Canadian international school in the UAE, we honour residential school Survivors, remember the children who never returned home, and recognise the lasting impact of the residential school system on Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Wearing orange reminds us that Every Child Matters, and of the importance of learning from the past with respect and understanding.

Learning in our classrooms

In Kindergarten, children talked about feelings, kindness and belonging, then decorated their own orange paper shirts with the words “This is mine”. The shirts now fill a classroom wall.

See this post on Instagram

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