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| Entrance to the school |
Sometimes it is good to go away and see what others are
doing. It helps to see things from
others perspectives. It kind of
jolts you into rethinking or thinking differently. This past week I was fortunate to go to Haida Gwaii (the
joys of working part time). I got
to walk on the beach and through the forest, go to art galleries and
museums. I got to soak in the
beauty and the culture. I also had
the opportunity to visit a school in Skidegate and sit in on a teacher meeting
about reading for the CR4YRs project (Changing Results for Young Readers).
This elementary school was both beautiful and unique, and
what I was struck with was the obvious presence of the Haida culture. The school itself had natural light,
and a lot of natural wood – beams and carvings, nooks and crannies, places to
sit and think, murals on the walls with sayings about nature, slanted walls in
places … and there was also a great deal of the Haida language present, and
art, drums and painted paddles. There
were photos of elders who speak the traditional language in the foyer of the
school. The teachers explained that the children take classes in the Haida
language – Haida immersion they called it.
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| Looking down one hallway |
I was struck by how beautiful and rich the school felt, and
how welcoming and special it was.
Even the classrooms were different, not square boxes … just a little bit
different. A few slanted walls, a different kind of entrance way, a padded
bench here and there. I loved
being there with natural light coming through the ceiling around the beams. School … an interesting learning place.
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| Student Art |
If I was a child of Haida ancestry, I think I would come to
school knowing that my culture and language were appreciated and
respected. And if I wasn’t of
Haida ancestry, I would be so curious about the culture and attracted to it.
It made me think of our schools. How inviting are they to kids and parents of various
cultures, especially our students of Aboriginal ancestry? What could we do to show appreciation
and respect for their culture? How
can we make our schools a place
where all kids can more easily belong and connect?
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| Language Posted
by Judith King
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