This year at Hume Elementary, our school community is focusing on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, being, histories, and perspectives into our everyday learning. Our school community has begun and will continue to integrate these teachings through storytelling, art, music, circle, and other traditional practices. 

To guide our learning this year, we are using the Circle of Courage framework to help us teach and learn in a good way. The Circle of Courage framework is an Indigenous model of positive development that focuses on four key elements: 

1. Belonging – building a sense of community where every student feels valued.
2. Mastery – supporting the growth of skills and confidence.
3. Independence – encouraging self-determination and personal growth.
4. Generosity – fostering empathy and a spirit of giving. 

This framework will help us nurture not only academic success but also the emotional and social well-being of our students. So far this year we have worked through the idea and understanding of belonging, mastery, and independence. 

Throughout the school year the students have been learning about the medicine wheel, which the Circle of Courage framework is built upon. The medicine wheel is a symbol of balance and continuation within the systems of our natural world. The medicine wheel is divided into 4 equal parts and represents a variety of things such as the cardinal directions, the parts of ourselves, the four sacred medicines, the four elements, and the seasons. Medicine wheel teachings emphasize the importance of balance and overall well-being in our own lives. It teaches us to care for ourselves and our world in a holistic way. In recent lessons we have looked deeper into the significance and use of the four sacred medicines: tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass. We have talked about how these medicines may be used, harvested, and how culture is directly tied to the land. 

Along with the teachings about the Circle of Courage and medicine wheel, we have also been learning about a variety of other aspects of Indigenous culture. Some of these things include learning about the Metis during Metis Awareness month in November, the importance of food, sharing, and feasting through the making of bannock, playing Indigenous field games, and looking into the meaning and importance of seven sacred teachings. 

Moving forward we will continue to integrate Indigenous knowledge and traditions into our learning. By weaving these teachings and the Circle of Courage framework into our daily routines, we hope to create a school that is inclusive, compassionate, and culturally aware for all students.