Blog Posts

What better way to kick off a chilly fall season than with a hearty bowl of soup? At Chief Dan George Middle School, we have worked hard on our garden beds and greenhouse space this past spring and fall. Last May, our students planted a Three Sisters Garden - the traditional indigenous practice of planting maize, squash, and bean plants. Upon our return in September, the fruits of our labour were ready to be harvested.

I have recently had some conversations with youth in our schools regarding what matters to them in their education. They point to having adults who care about them, opportunities to engage in different kinds of activities, and social groups that they feel a part of. This seems to make sense and I would argue this is what we hope to achieve in our middle schools for all of our learners. Given our middle school vision of “joyful, inquiry-based approaches that create access to experience and opportunities to develop agency, identity, and belonging”, we are headed down the right path.

The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair remarked in an impassioned plea that “we need to pursue reconciliation consistently and passionately. Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out. We see this as our challenge and our hope.”

“Ey kwesé e’mi to the LLC! Please walk ON the cedar and take a seat at the front.”

After students and staff had followed these instructions, they were reminded of the significance of the cedar for the week’s teachings at Abby Middle. Designed to ground one's spirit, the cedar encouraged staff and students to have an open heart, open mind, and listen to the teachings.

With all of the various challenges that schools have faced with COVID-19 restrictions, one of the more pressing ones at this time of year is figuring out how to help our students transition into a new school without being able to do traditional visits and in-person meetings. As with many things, necessity has been the mother of invention. Many schools have created welcoming videos to provide information about the school and help incoming students feel engaged and excited about the transition.