We have been very fortunate to have beautiful weather this fall! This has allowed students to spend more time outside learning and exploring. Many classes have taken advantage of our outdoor natural space to see the changes that the fall has to offer in their sit spots. Sit spots connect us to the land, and allow us to build a relationship with the natural world around us. Students choose a sit spot and will revisit it many times during the year, observing what is happening on the land around them using all of their senses. This is a quiet, reflective time, and I am continually amazed at what students observe!
Staff had the opportunity to expand our learning during our Indigenous Education Professional Learning Day. We heard powerful words from Dr. James Makokis, as he shared about treaties, residential schools and the lasting intergenerational trauma of Indigenous Peoples. Staff engaged in rich conversations and we set some further goals to support our school’s work towards Truth and Reconciliation. Students play a major role in this work, and at our Orange Shirt Day assembly, classes committed to an action that they would focus on for the year to further this work. A part of this will be a personalized class land acknowledgement at an assembly – showing their connections to the land that we are fortunate to live and work on, and their appreciation for what the land provides for us.
Our work this year is grounded in the idea of the circles around us, and the connections that we have to the people, our community and the land that we live on. Where there are connections, there are stories, and we hope to build our understanding through these stories. We know that Ogden has a rich history, and delving into this history and the stories behind it, will be a big piece of our learning this year. We are fortunate to have Quest Theatre spending time with us in a storytelling residency this month. As well, we will have the expertise of an Elder to support us in understanding Truths, as we walk the path towards Reconciliation.
It is such a privilege to be able to spend our days with your children. Thank you for sharing them with us, and letting us be a part of their wonder.
Payal Tuli, Principal
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