The school year may be starting to pick up steam, but those at La Verendrye don't want the anti-racism teachings to be forgotten any time soon.

Mark Sokolowski, vice-principal for La Verendrye, says they held anti-racism activities to start the year in order to really sit down with the students and show them how they can be more inclusive. Those at La Verendrye didn't believe a single day would be enough, so they decided to make it longer.

"We really felt that we needed to invest some time and teaching opportunities in this. So, we spent about two weeks doing activities," explains Sokolowski. "From participating in two Orange Shirt Day activities to learning about residential schools and the impacts that it had."

He notes they also left orange handprints on the sidewalk and had teachers hold classes on Indigenous issues, while keeping it suitable for their age. He adds Jill Fast, their Indigenous academic coordinator, was able to provide excellent resources for the staff to use.

"It's great to be a part of those learning opportunities, it's not just correcting them, but we explain and teach why we need to change," says Sokolowski. "The reception from the students has been great, and it's certainly something we want to promote throughout the year."

To see what other events La Verendrye has in store for the school year, click here.