ATM: Sustaining Truth & Reconciliation, and Equity for All

In the Foothills School Division (FSD), our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation is not a one-time initiative—it’s a continuing journey rooted in respect, learning, and community. As exemplified in the Alberta Education 2025-2028 Business Plan, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit student success is a priority. This is also reflected in the Teacher Quality Standard (TQS), Leadership Quality Standard (LQS), and the Superintendent Quality Standard (SQS) which guide teachers, school leaders, and system leaders to sustain a high-quality of excellence in learning. 

Through implementing guiding principles like the Circle of Courage, land-based learning, and Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk), we foster holistic education and inclusive learning environments for everyone. These approaches are embedded in our classrooms, ceremonies, and professional development, ensuring student wellness and reconciliation in action is lived, not just learned. 

Truth and Reconciliation is woven into our Education Plan 2024–2029, which prioritizes:

Engagement: Establishing and maintaining authentic and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous families and all communities

Support: Creating welcoming spaces for all learners and fostering a sense of belonging in schools.

Success: Celebrate and honour First Nations, Metis and Inuit student success through culturally significant practices.

These goals reflect our commitment to recognize that advancing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation commission of Canada and its 94 Calls to Action are both a professional responsibility and a moral imperative.

Building Community Through Reconciliation

Advancing Truth and Reconciliation strengthens our entire community. It brings us together through:

• Celebrations like the FSD First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Graduation Feast, in partnership with the Town of Okotoks, where families, Elders, and staff honour student success.
• Shared cultural spaces that foster dialogue and experiential learning.
• Public acknowledgements such as land acknowledgements at school events, murals, outdoor learning classrooms, and tipi transfer ceremonies, deepening understanding and respect.
• Collaborative projects like the ppartnership with town of Okotoks, Tipi Transfer with Stoney Elders, learning with Kookum, and work with Elder Saa'kokoto, extend reconciliation beyond the classroom.

As Murray Sinclair, former Justice and Chair of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission said, “Education got us into this mess. Education will get us out.” His words and contributions continue to guide our path forward.

Sustaining the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation requires ongoing commitment, reflection, and action. This work is not a single event but a continuous journey, woven into the very fabric of our communities and relationships. We nurture this journey by listening to Indigenous voices, learning a new truth through perspectives in history that were historically muted/hidden, intentionally creating spaces for Indigenous perspectives and voices to be present within our learning, and supporting professional development that equips educators with the knowledge to teach and learn alongside Indigenous partners.

Together, we are building a community where every learner feels seen, heard, and valued. Thank you for walking this journey with us.