Margaret Shelton Art in the Learning Commons

Come to the Learning Commons and check out three Margaret Shelton pieces we have hanging in our Fill the Well gallery space.

Margaret Shelton was an Alberta artist known for her watercolour paintings and detailed woodblock and linocut prints. She grew up in the Drumheller Valley and developed a strong connection to the Alberta landscape. She later studied art at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary, where she learned from artists including A. C. Leighton and H. G. Glyde.

Shelton was inspired by the landscapes and everday life of Alberta, often creating artwork of farms, barns, mountains, trees, rural communities, and industrial areas. She became particularly interested in printmaking and, in 1941, learned Japanese woodblock printing techniques. She went on to create hundreds of prints throughout her career. 

Shelton's work is important because she captured ordinary Alberta places with careful observation and attention to detail. Her artwork can be found in major Canadian collections, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. 

Come to the Learning Commons and see these beautiful pieces. What do you see? How do they make you feel? 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30th every year. It is also called Orange Shirt Day.

From the Government of Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html)

Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters began in Williams Lake, British Columbia, on September 30, 2013. Established to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and those who never returned home, it serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting impacts of the Residential School system. What began as a grassroots initiative has since evolved into a nationally recognized movement, with individuals, organizations, and communities across Canada participating in acts of remembrance, reflection, and reconciliation each year.

The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.

Public commemoration of this tragic chapter in Canada’s history, and its lasting effects, plays an essential role in advancing truth and reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called on the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to create a statutory holiday recognizing Survivors, their families, and communities while ensuring the history and legacy of residential schools are publicly remembered. Bill C-5, which established the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a federal statutory holiday, received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are both observed annually on September 30th, and they are dedicated to honouring Residential School Survivors, their families, and communities, and to recognize the lasting impacts of Canada’s Residential School system. These commemorations provide an opportunity to deepen Canada’s understanding of the intergenerational effects of residential schools and to reflect on their enduring legacy as part of the ongoing journey toward truth, healing, and reconciliation.

On September 30, Canadians are encouraged to wear orange in honour of Residential School Survivors and their families, and in remembrance of the children who never returned home.

What is Reconciliation?

From CBC Kids News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEj5vjc2EDk)

What are the 94 Calls to Action?

From CBC Kids News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iST_ioRPmkA)

What are Treaties with Indigenous People?

From CBC Kids News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaK9rAV32A)

Who was Chanie Wenjack?

From Historica Canada Heritage Minutes (https://www.historicacanada.ca/productions/minutes/chanie-wenjack)

Orange Shirt Day Activity

From Every Child Matters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PALCd9Wy6Wc)

Willow Park School

We will honour National Day for Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday, September 29th. Please wear an orange shirt on that day. 

Learning Commons

Come up to the Learning Commons and borrow a book from our display. This is a small portion of the books we have in our collection by Indigenous authors.

See you in the Learning Commons! 

Read. Learn. Grow.

Terry Fox

Terry's Story 

(https://terryfox.org/terrys-story/)

Eighteen-year-old Terry Fox of Port Coquitlam, BC never saw himself as remarkable. Terry’s personal experience and research led him to a simple conclusion – more money was needed for cancer research. And so, in the modest but motivated style that would prove to be his trademark, Terry started training and planning for his cross-Canada run to raise funds for cancer research. He dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean on April 12th, 1980 and proceeded to unite Canadians in a way never before, nor since, seen. The only thing that could have stopped Terry from reaching the Pacific Ocean did. Cancer returned in his lungs and he was forced to stop on September 1st, 1980 after having run 5,373 kilometres.

Heritage Minute 

(https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/H2F9LbF_pF0?playlist=H2F9LbF_pF0&autoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&start=)

The Terry Fox Foundation 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1QOtPDAAeY&t=14s)

The Canadian Encyclopedia 

(https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/search?InF1ZXJ5JTNEdGVycnklMjUyMGZveCUyNnR5cGUlM0RhbGwlMjZwYWdlJTNEMSI=)

The Ballad of Terry Fox by Bryan Adams 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tervpo0VZuM)

Willow Park School

We will be raising money for Cancer Research and honouring Terry Fox on Friday, September 18th. Be sure to wear your sneakers. If you are able, please consider bringing in some money to donate. Even your spare change will help. 

 

Welcome to the Learning Commons

We have worked hard to get the Learning Commons ready for student visits next week! We can't wait to see you here!

Learning Commons Hours:

• Monday to Thursday
• 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

Students are also welcome to visit at lunch to quickly return or borrow a book and ask for tech help. 

Things to remember when you visit the Learning Commons:

• Always say hello to Mrs. Dickson!
• No food or drink (aside from water) allowed
• No water near the technology
• All books must be checked out before they leave the Learning Commons
• Use a browsing stick or shelf marker when looking for a book (no willy nilly in the Learning Commons!)
• Use the M sticker guidelines to find books appropriate for you
• Be gentle with the beanbags (no jumping, flopping, or stepping on) and put them back in the Beanbag Corral when you are finished
• Use beanbags in the large area of the Learning Commons and away from bookcases
• Tidy your table and push in your chair before you leave
• Be kind, gentle, and helpful

We look forward to meeting new faces and welcoming old library friends back to the Learning Commons!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Dickson and Mrs. Fischer

Read. Learn. Grow.