Principal’s January 2021 Note…

Pusu’l Puna’ne. Happy New Year. 2020 was a difficult year, but we look forward to having an even better year for 2021. Together we get through hard things. We are excited to return from online learning and holidays. We are excited to reconnect and ready to accomplish many great things.

To support success for our students, we began this year with a week of professional development for all of our staff. Staff participated in professional development on Mi’kmaq language & culture, outdoor education, mental health, technology, curriculum delivery, planning and goal setting. Workshops were delivered by our staff in house and MK staff virtually. We strengthened our relationships, teamwork and collaboration while learning new things to provide to our students.

Missing school can have a snowball effect. Each day of learning builds on the previous day of lessons. Students that miss lessons can fall behind in skills, resulting in them wanting to miss more time from school because they are struggling. Research shows that kids that are allowed to miss school when they are young are more likely to skip school when they are older and are less likely to graduate.

Conversations you have with your child has an impact on your child’s ability to learn to read, speak to others, and solve problems. Talking with your child, rather than to your child, helps to build a stronger foundation for learning. Talking with your child also helps to build social skills needed for their life long journey. Technology is a great tool for learning, but too much can take away from connecting and having meaningful relationships with others.

This month’s Seven Sacred Teaching is honesty. Honesty is speaking and acting truthfully as well as the act of being honest with yourself about who you really are. Accept and use the gifts the creator has given you and do not seek to deceive yourself or others. Be honest with yourself, and you will find being honest with others comes more easily. Honesty in Mi’kmaq is Koqaja’teken, and means righteousness, doing what is right. To be honest is to be brave. The Sabe represents honesty. The Sabe reminds us not to be someone we are not. An honest person is said to walk tall like the Sabe.

January is the last month of First Semester for grades 9-12. Second semester for our High School Students will begin February 1st. Students and teachers are preparing for Exams that begin the week of Monday, January 25th. Please read further in our newsletter for the list of courses we are offering for second semester and more information about our exam week.