This morning Moulton Hill stood in silence to honour the lives of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were discovered in an unmarked grave last week.

During our school assembly, Head of School, Michel Lafrance, spoke about the all-to-recent history of residential schools in Canada and the lasting impact they have had on Indigenous communities. The TRC's Missing Children Project has documented 4,100 deaths of Indigenous children at the hands of the residential school system but the numbers are estimated to be much closer to 6,000 lives lost. These numbers do not include the devastating and lasting impact on the survivors and their families.

Our flags are lowered at half-mast and will stay for 215 hours in memory of the 215 children whose remains were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. We are offering our deepest respects to the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and Indigenous Peoples during these difficult times.

Our community is committed to continuing these difficult and essential conversations and we urge everyone to continue to learn about the horrifying reality and lasting impact of residential schools on the survivors and families of Indigenous peoples and how settler colonialism continues to impact Indigenous communities. Reconciliation cannot happen without truth.

A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for former students and those affected—the 24-hour line can be accessed by calling 1-866-925-4419.