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Parent Navigator Helping Families
and Students Succeed 1
SRCE Celebrates African
Heritage Month 2019 2
Students in Six Schools
Participating in Unified Sports®
Basketball Initiative 3
SRCE Schools Participate in Bell
Let’s Talk Day to Promote Positive
Mental Health 3
Mary Prosper, Mi’kmaw Language
Teacher, and Grade 9 Dalbrae
Academy Students Share Culturally
Responsive Learning 4
Students Honour the Work of Nova
Scotia Folk Artist, Maud Lewis, on
Nova Scotia Heritage Day 4
Important Dates/Events February 4 to 8, 2019 Canadian School Counselling Week February 10 to 16, 2019 Teacher Staff Appreciation Week Friday, February 15, 2019 National Flag of Canada Day Monday, February 18, 2019 Heritage Day Holiday African Heritage Month School Psychology Awareness
Month
In this month’s report, I am very pleased to share with you a number of initiatives that are making a positive difference in the lives of our students and families. This month, our schools celebrated African Heritage Month, Our History is Your History, through special events, activities and learning opportunities in and out of our classrooms. Each February, in particular, and throughout the year, our schools focus on the history, culture and achievements of people of African descent to highlight the connection of our past to today and how this information shapes our understanding and cultural awareness. This month is also the perfect time for each of us to reflect on our shared history and understanding of the contributions and traditions of people of African descent. As part of our goal to strengthen positive, safe and inclusive environments, I am pleased to see the expansion of the Unified Sports® Basketball initiative in the number of schools, from two to six, taking part in this year. While the overall goal of this program is to celebrate diversity through sport, it has also provided meaningful opportunities for all students to learn skills, build friendships and feel included. I am very impressed with Mi’kmaw Word of the Day began by Mrs. Prosper and the Grade 9 students at Dalbrae Academy. It is initiatives like these that promote and support Mi’kmaq education, language and culture for all of us. The messages shared by students to promote positive mental health and well-being, and the art work created by students in honor of Maud Lewis are further excellent examples of the great work happening in classrooms throughout the SRCE. The personal and direct support to families provided by our Parent Navigator is helping our students’ learning and success by helping families learn and understand what programs and services are available from our community partners and at school. As I said before one of the many strengths we have in the SRCE is our highly qualified and dedicated staff who work hard to support our students and school communities. During the month of February, we had the opportunity to recognize Canadian School Counselling Week, Teacher Staff Appreciation Week and School Psychology Awareness Month. As part of our goal to promote the stewardship of resources, planning has now started for the 2019-2020 school year. Primary registrations have been completed and staffing plans are underway. As well at this time of year, the school calendar starts to be designed, and capital projects for the 2019-2020 are being considered. As with all plans, our number one goal of improving student achievement and success is at the forefront of all decisions. Sincerely,
Paul Landry Regional Executive Director of Education (Acting)
Paul Landry Regional Executive Director
of Education (Acting)
304 Pitt Street, Unit 2 Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2T9;
www.srce.ca; [email protected]; 902-625-2191/
1-800-650-4448 (P) 902-625-2281 (F)
Follow us on Twitter @SRCE_NS
Regional Executive Director’s Report
to School Communities in the Strait Region
February 2019
Parent Navigator Helping Families and Students Succeed
The Parent Navigator position is a new position in the SRCE this year. This position was included as part of the new inclusive education supports to ensure students have the help they need to be more successful in school that were announced by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development on May 8, 2018.
The Parent Navigator plays an important part in helping families learn and understand what programs and services are available for their children in the community and at school, and how to access these supports. The Parent Navigator works exclusively with parents and families in a collaborative way within the school system. As a result, the position is significantly supporting our students’ success.
“The support that I provide is individualized and depends on the respective family’s needs,” said Ms. Stewart. “The support ranges from helping them access medical and mental health services as well as financial supports; connecting them with parenting programs; and attending School Planning Program meetings, all the while encouraging parents to be self-advocates.” In addition, Ms. Stewart has organized presentations for parents, in cooperation with community partners, related to cannabis legalization and the healthy use of social media. Currently, she is working towards establishing parent peer support groups and parent libraries that will include resources on various topics such as anxiety, parenting skills, behavior, autism, to name a few. Referrals to the Parent Navigator may be made through school administration, SchoolsPlus, and teachers. Currently, schools with access to the Parent Navigator include Pleasant Bay School, Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy, Inverness Education Centre/Academy, Whycocomagh Education Centre, Bayview Education Centre and Dalbrae Academy.
Diane Stewart, Parent Navigator SchoolsPlus, Inverness County
2
SRCE Celebrates African Heritage Month 2019
February is recognized internationally as African Heritage Month – a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions and ongoing achievements of people of African descent from all over the world. This is also an opportune time for each of us to reflect on our shared history and understanding of the contributions and traditions of the African community. The theme of African Heritage Month 2019 is Our History is Your History and recognizes the unique
story of African Nova Scotians and how this story is connected with our past, present and future. In addition, it is important to remember that the United Nations declared 2015 to 2025 the International Decade of People of African Descent, embracing the theme of recognition, justice and development.
I was pleased to attend the launch of African Heritage Month jointly organized by the Town of Antigonish and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish held at St. F.X. University on January 30, 2019. Students and staff from several of our schools attended the event and Ms. Morgan Gero, Teacher at St. Andrew Junior School and her student African Drumming Group, comprised of students attending Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School and St. Andrew Junior School, performed with The Honourable Tony Ince, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage (Viiew their performance here) In addition, we were very fortunate to have Ms. Gero and the student drumming group perform at our recent Principals’ Meeting. (View performance here) Throughout the year, and especially in February, our schools focus on the history, culture and achievements of people of African descent through a variety of educational approaches and thought-provoking activities in and out of the classroom. Some examples of the school-based activities include guest speakers, presentations, musical performances, student research and discussion, creation of African Art and other visual representations, displays, and visits to our Afrikan Canadian Heritage and Friendship Centre in Guysborough.
3 Students in Six Schools Participating in Unified Sports® Basketball Initiative
SRCE Schools Participate in Bell Let’s Talk Day to Promote Positive Mental Health
Student athletes from Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy, Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School, East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy, Tamarac Education Centre, Richmond Education Centre/Academy and SAERC are taking part in a Unified Sports® Basketball initiative. Unified Sports® is a program through Special Olympics that supports an increase in physical activity for all participants and provides students of varying abilities an opportunity to experience team sports. Unified Sports® promotes acceptance, respect and human dignity for all students and social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. The Program is inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. As the Special Olympics website states, Unified Sports® is built upon the premise that in order to have the greatest impact the change process needs to start with youth. Staff at each of the schools invited interested students to join their school-based teams and are at various points in their implementation. Once the teams are formed, students attend weekly practices held at lunch time. The practices start with icebreaker activities to determine each student’s skill level. The goal of the ice breaker activities is for socialization purposes. Students learn each other’s names by coming together in a circle with a passing drill. The student leaders then explain the skills for the practice (dribbling, passing, shooting) and organize the students into groups. In the last half of the practice, students take part in a team-based scrimmage. Adapted basketball nets were used to accommodate all student ability levels. Inclusive school-based sports encourages broader student engagement and exposure to team sport that otherwise may not have been available. The involvement of student leaders within the schools breaks down stereotypes and promotes acceptance, respect and inclusion of all students in the school community. The overall goals of this initiative include;
More students with intellectual disabilities are participating in physical activity
More students with and without intellectual disabilities are playing sports together
Students without disabilities hold more positive attitudes towards their peers with intellectual disabilities
School communities of acceptance where students with intellectual disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in and feel part of all school activities, opportunities and functions
Perception of Special Olympics as a school and community partner that offers programming that benefits all students.
Creating a new generation of youth leaders Five of the teams will be playing in a Unified Basketball Jamboree at SAERC on Friday, March 1, 2019. We wish our athletes all the best! Thank you to all students for taking part in this impressive event and for the leadership provided by our staff. For more information, please refer to the Special Olympics website at http://www.playunified.org/.
As part of the SRCE Mental Health Strategy, and to further support our students’ positive mental health and pro-social skills development, a number of our schools took part in the recent Bell Let’s Talk event that promotes mental health literacy and works toward ending the stigma around mental illness. In addition, the SRCE has developed a brochure entitled Mental Health Resources and Services which includes a wealth of information on the importance of using the right words with regards to mental health literacy, provides a number of online resources and contact information for community partners.
4 Mary Prosper, Mi’kmaw Language Teacher, and Grade 9 Students at Dalbrae Academy Share Culturally Responsive Learning Through Mi’kmaw Word of the Day
Under the guidance of Mi’kmaw Language Teacher, Mary Prosper, Grade 9 students enrolled in the Mi’kmaq Language class at Dalbrae Academy are sharing their learning in culturally responsive practices through the creation and modelling of a Mi’kmaw Word of the Day. Mrs. Prosper explains that the students came up with the idea to help encourage people to speak Mi’kmaq and even make each clip that is posted to Twitter @mareprosper. “We know there is a decline in those who are able to speak Mi’kmaq and this is our way of helping,” said Mrs. Prosper. In all languages, there is a certain alphabet and each letter of the alphabet has a different sound. For example, in the Mi’kmaw language, the letter p sounds like b, Pa’si (ba-see); t sounds like d and k sounds like g; and you have to sound out each letter. I commend Mrs. Prosper and Dalbrae Academy students for their leadership with this important initiative that promotes and supports Mi’kmaw education, language and culture for everyone. It is quite fitting that they launched this initiative this year as it is also the United Nation’s declaration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Who Do I Contact With Questions or Concerns?
1. Start with your child’s teacher.
2. Follow up with the school principal, if
required.
3. For general inquiries, please contact the
SRCE where we will be happy to
connect you with the right member of
staff: 902-625-2191; [email protected]
4. Student discipline and/or behavior,
please contact Brian van den Heuvel at
902-625-7065 or
5. All other matters/media inquiries, please
contact Deanna Gillis at 902-625-7093
Students Honour the work of Nova Scotia Folk Artist, Maud Lewis, on Nova Scotia Heritage Day 2019
