Orange Shirt Day Special Event

Join us on Orange Shirt Day!

Our special guest for this event is Coast Salish Author, Courtney Defriend.

Courtney’s book If Instead of a Person, imaginatively explores the wisdom to be learned from living as a tree. It invites readers to become change agents that respect the interconnectedness of nature and humanity.

During this event, Courtney will be sharing her book with us while integrating themes of Truth and Reconciliation in an age appropriate manner.

To honour Orange Shirt Day, the Courtney’s book, If Instead of a Person, depicts traditional teachings on our connection and similarities to Mother Earth. In the past, Residential Schools did not allow such teachings to be shared with our children. Today, this book contributes to many ways to reintroduce Indigenous principles to children and families.

About Courtney Defriend

Courtney is passionate about working with people, particularly in Indigenous communities. She deeply values the traditional wealth of culture of the first nations peoples on Vancouver Island. Her background is in child and youth care, leadership, and conflict resolution. She currently works with First Nation’s Health Authority in the area of mental wellness.

Event Details

When: Wednesday, September 29th @ 9:30am PST / 12:30pm EST
Length: 45  Minutes
What: Virtual Author Visit with Courtney Defriend
Who:  Designed for K – Grade 4 – Everyone Welcome
Curricular Connections: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies

FAQ

This event is specifically designed with lower elementary students in mind. However, everyone is welcome to attend – no matter your age! Whether you’re learning in a classroom or at home, you’re welcome to join us!

Yes! 

This event will be Livestreamed to Youtube and will be available to watch anytime after the event. 

You can even start the event with us in the Zoom Meeting, take a break when your littles start to get squirmy, then catch the end on the recording later. 

Time are approximate. We do our best to keep our events under 45 minutes. 

  • Welcome & Introduction – 5 mins
  • Author’s Presentation – 20 mins
  • Q&A with the Author – 10 mins
  • Virtual Classroom & Resource Tour – 5 mins
  • Wrap Up & Goodbye – 5 mins
 

Yes! Continue learning after the event with our Virtual Classroom and other learning resources. We’ll spend a few minutes at the end of the event with a student focused tour of what you can do.

Our learning resources are designed especially for teachers and homeschool families, who would like to dig deeper into the content and themes. Information about the learning resources will also be posted on the event webpage.

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