Across the country today, students are learning more about a tragic part of Candian history. They are wearing orange shirts to show support for those placed in residential schools.

"Orange Shirt Day began in 2013," explained Kristy Johnson at Hillcrest School, "and it was a movement inspired by Phyllis Webstad's residential school experience. In 1967, she entered a residential school near Williams Lake, BC. Her grandmother had given her a new orange shirt but it was stripped from her and she never saw it again."

It has now become a national event to promote residential school awareness and education.

"We have a Grade 7 and 8 leadership team. I taught them about treaty education and the residential school system. I had students from my class go to different classrooms throughout the school and they taught the different classrooms about why the orange shirt is important and the purpose of it."

This morning, students gathered for an assembly. They traced their hands on orange paper and wrote a message on why every child matters.