We,
Etek tekik. Fall is here. It’s getting cold. It is a great feeling to see and hear our students in the building again. Students have adapted well with the many additional Covid-19 procedures. With the cold weather, some students have developed the cold virus which includes some Covid-19 symptoms. To help stop the spread of any virus, we recommend keeping your child home if they are feeling ill. If your child has a fever or more than one other Covid-19 symptom, please contact 811 for further recommendations. If a student is recommended for a Covid-19 test, we will transition that class to at home learning until the rest results are received. Your child’s teacher will contact you for further information and we will continue to update our community. We expect our chromebooks to arrive this month.
In September we celebrated Nitap day by learning and modeling kindness and friendship. Kindness builds stronger relationships and connections. We are continuing to strengthen relationships with each other, our students and our community. It takes a village to raise a child and united we are unstoppable and can overcome hard things. We recognize this school year is harder than past years for staff and students. Please feel free to reach out to our staff with any concerns you may have, as we are here to support you.
This month’s seven sacred teachings we are focusing on is Mikitelsulti, courage or bravery. Bravery is doing something that frightens you. It is doing something with your whole heart when you cannot predict the outcome. Everytime we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. We are bravest when we are connected with others. We all need courage to face all of the new ways due to COVID-19. Sipekne’katik is demonstrating bravery by coming together and fighting for our future treaty rights.
Each morning we start our day with the morning announcement which includes our land acknowledgment, a treaty teaching and the Mi’kmaq honour song. October is Mi’kmaq history month when we recognize Orange Shirt Day and Treaty Day. We use the Nova Scotia Treaty Education Framework for age appropriate teachings of residential schools and treaties. We will continue to teach these topics throughout the year. Orange shirt day is September 30th, in which we acknowledge residential school survivors. October first is treaty day and a day in which we represent our treaties we signed with the British crown. A treaty is a promise or agreement. We signed the 1752 Peace and Friendship treaty to stop conflict for everyone to live in peace and harmony. Each side agreed to terms to create peace and friendship.
Thanksgiving is October 12th and a day in which we give thanks for all we have and the people we have in our lives. It is a day we show our gratitude and we celebrate with a large meal. Thanksgiving was originally a day to give thanks for the harvest season and because Canada is more northern, we celebrate it before our southern neighbours, the United States.
Last year we sold Nourish Your Roots Boxes and shared them with elders in our community. This year you can order boxes online and pick them up in Elmsdale. Proceeds of sales go to our lunch program if you select our school when you buy a Nourish Your Roots box online.
Although we cannot do things traditionally, we have learned to do things in new ways and grow from it. We are happy to be back into our daily routines and look forward to another great month full of many learning experiences and connections.
Ms. Kelly Oliver
Principal