Blog Posts

Mount Sentinel Secondary School’s (MSSS) Aboriginal Education Program has been facilitating a number of initiatives this year. Some of the highlights include our Orange Shirt Day (OSD) assembly in September. One of our Grade 12 Indigenous students, Finn Yau, got up in front of the whole school and shared the survival story of a Residential school student that they received through the Legacy of Hope project. It was very powerful and deeply honored the spirit and intent of OSD.

It feels like the school year speeds up this time of year!  May is when 2024 grads who have applied for scholarships are going through adjudication for their awards, while others are preparing to embark on their first steps in a career, apprenticeship, job search, gap year or post-secondary educational journey. 

Since January Students at South Nelson Elementary school have been focusing on connection with Indigenous art and connection with the world around us. 

Students learned about the Potlatch Ban in Canada through the story “The Secret of the Dance” by Andrea Spalding and Alfred Scow and studied Traditional West Coast masks. 

in March, Janelle Alladina came to SD8 to share knowledge about Pow Wow and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. She shared stories, language, and teachings from her Nation. Janelle is a proud Secwépemc (Shuswap) woman from T’exelc (Williams Lake Indian Band). Her father is former chief Willie Alphonse Jr, and her mother is Cree from Horse Lake. She has been dancing fancy shawl and jingle dress since she was 2 years old.

Content Warning: this topic may be sensitive for som

Spring has finally sprung! There is no surer sign that the seasons have changed than the beginning of eight weeks of training for our annual Reconciliation Run Walk Wheel taking place in all SD8 schools in June. The run offers weekly teachings on this year’s theme of Health, Wellness, and Reconciliation, along with training tips and information for all the staff, students and families who participate.

The #sd8abed 8 week Run Walk Wheel training will start April 8^th! This year’s theme is around Health, Wellness, and Reconciliation. Each week, there will be teachings shared around these themes, along with some tips and information for training to work toward the Reconciliation Run Walk Wheel in all SD8 Schools in June. We won’t be following any particular program, it will be up to staff to choose something listed on the website.

This past month has been a flurry of physical, intellectual, social and emotional learning in our six families of schools as students engaged in activities that stretched their skills, and exercised their understanding, leading us toward our upcoming spring break from March 18 to April 1. 

Winlaw Aboriginal Education