Indigenous Connections
Christ Church Cathedral School works to foster meaningful relationships with the local First Nations and to embed culturally relevant learning across all grade levels. Located on the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations of the LÉ™k̓ʷəŋən peoples, the school shares in the Anglican Church’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, respect, and relationship-building with Indigenous communities.
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Teaching and learning at the school is governed by the First Peoples Principles of Learning outlined in the British Columbia Provincial Curriculum. Christ Church Cathedral School integrates Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and ways of knowing across the curriculum, including within foundational subjects such as literacy and numeracy. This commitment is reflected in regular classroom practice at all grade levels. It is also woven into the fabric of the whole school community. Examples of this commitment to relationship include land acknowledgements in school publications and ceremonies, recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day, and community outreach to Indigenous partners.
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Through these practices, Christ Church Cathedral School seeks to honour Indigenous worldviews, foster understanding and respect, and nurture a strong sense of place and belonging within the school community.
Integrated Learning
Kindergarten
​Kindergarten students are introduced to Indigenous perspectives through storytelling, land-based learning, and age-appropriate conversations about belonging and respect.
Through shared readings such as When We Are Kind, Shi-shi-etko, Owls See Clearly at Night, We Are Water Protectors, and Phyllis's Orange Shirt, students explore kindness, care for the land and water, animals as teachers, and the message of Orange Shirt Day that “Every Child Matters.” Learning experiences include sharing circles with a talking piece, dramatic retelling, nature observation, collaborative art, and discussions about living on the traditional territories of local First Nations.
Through these cross-curricular experiences, students build oral language skills, develop personal and social responsibility, and begin to understand their role in caring for community and place in alignment with the BC Kindergarten curriculum and the First Peoples Principles of Learning.
