At Salmo Secondary School we are committed to structuring the way we function with the Circle of Courage. We always take a day at the beginning of the school year to focus on belonging and take our entire school up to Champion Lakes for a day of connecting and building school spirit.

This month at Salmo Secondary we were very excited to begin setting up our new Indigenous Education space. This will allow us to keep all of our amazing resources together and provide a space for Indigenous students to gather. Our senior students have already begun using this space for projects such as moccasins and beading during their spare blocks.

The Indigenous students gathered to set up our tipi and participate in tipi teachings. Unfortunately, the tipi poles later fell down during a wind storm and one broke when putting the tipi back up. From that disappointment has come some opportunities for field trips- one to bury the broken pole on an east-facing slope, and the other to go in search of and cure a lodgepole pine for replacement.

We participated in Truth and Reconciliation week by first having Indigenous students offer a smudge and teachings to the school community, the Foods 11/12 class making and serving bannock to the school, a drumming session, the English 12 class offering tobacco teachings and a gratitude activity shared with us by Naomi Legg. We finished the week with an assembly and an Every Child Matters activity.

In the classroom, our Socials 8 class is learning about the Sinixt and matriarchal societal structures with a focus on two First Peoples Principles of Learning: learning involves generational roles and responsibilities and learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge. The Science 8 classes have been getting outside to learn about and observe local plants. It has been a great start to the school year at Salmo Secondary School.

Submitted by Lisa Berk, Aboriginal Academic Success Teacher at Salmo Secondary