Some 40+ staff members of Espanola High School travelled to Sagamok on September 27 to offer a Meet & Greet opportunity for parents and their Grade 8 students, as well as to meet with staff of the Sagamok Education Department.
The Meet & Greet served to provide the EHS educators with a glimpse of the Sagamok community, the services available, a tour of the new Biidaaban Kinoomaagegamik and its grounds, and a tour of the former Biidaaban school currently being transformed into the new Life-Long Learning Centre and Education Department hub.
In true Sagamonian style, Biidaaban staff welcomed the folks from EHS with a ‘swag bag’ of goodies before beginning their guided tour. Throughout the tour, they marveled at the school layout, the nature-inspired colours and themes, the land-based and Anishinaabemowin learning tools, and the expansive gymnasium and cafeteria inclusions. A delicious lunch was served to the visitors which was later raved about during the discussion period. Kudos once again to the catering team responsible!
After lunch, the EHS staff hopped back in their big orange limousine and travelled to the new Life-Long Learning Centre (former Biidaaban school).
For the remainder of the EHS Meet & Greet Day, a Professional Development Day for Rainbow District School Board staff, they attended a presentation hosted by Vance McPherson, Director of Education, and Claudette Fournier, Manager of the Life-Long Learning Centre. McPherson discussed the Robinson Huron Treaty and the dynamic between Sagamok, the Government, and Education. He expressed it’s the people of Sagamok that are the primary drivers of education within this community - not the province, not the Government, not Canada - and this is only recently being recognized. Sagamok Education is now playing ‘catch up’ following 200 years of imposed ‘colonial’ style systems.
There is also the broader recognition that First Nations should have always had control over their education, and this was expressed to the group of educators present. While we have known this for many years, this meeting represented an important starting point, and it was significant having the EHS educators commit to joining the Sagamok team to learn, to share ideas with, to gain awareness, and to discover what it means to be a First Nations student, parent, caregiver, or educator navigating this critical evolution in education.
McPherson went on to express how “the new Biidaaban space is a place to feel grounded for our students; comfortable, that they feel the space is ‘nice’ and that students can feel valued and respected so they may learn.” He also emphasized the wonderful ways in which Shki Waase Aaban Binoojiinh Gamik is working towards immersing children from an early age in the Anishinaabemowin language and culture, but that supports and speakers of the language are needed to continue developing this for up-and-coming generations.
From there, discussion proceeded to the Life-Long Learning Centre and its ability to offer Indigenous Skills Employment Training programs (ISETPs), and Adult Education through Waawaasnoode to support age 21+ members in getting their High School Diploma and access post-secondary assistance. There is also guidance and career coaching available to offer immediate assistance to anyone who walks through the door. Sagamok recognizes the need to support people at any stage of life from the time of birth to the time of transition (death) because we are constantly learning! This was the birth of the Education Department’s Mission Statement development: Support any individual in every way possible to reach their full potential. This is what Sagamok can be proud of striving to achieve within the Education sector.
The conversation was then handed over to Espanola High School Principal, Andrea Therrien, who expressed how pleased they were to have had the invitation to visit Sagamok and its Education Department, meet the students, and be immersed in Sagamok life for the day. She further offered the thought-provoking question to the room, ‘From here, how do we offer Rainbow District School Board supports, facilities, and assets to work with Sagamok Education and optimize this relationship?’
But that is another story – and one that will continue to evolve based on the proactive work of the Sagamok Education Department.
The day ended with a group photo of the two school departments in front of the old Biidaaban and, as they boarded their bus back to Espanola, they left Sagamok with a fresh snack box and a new learning perspective to contemplate for the journey home. It was a day of learning and professional development for all parties involved and the first step towards developing a healthy partnership to support our students and help our community reach its full potential.
