Demonstrating the escalating
value of repeating a project and growing a relationship with an elder, this was
the third year in a row that Pierre Elliot Trudeau School did Project of Heart(PoH).
Three years ago, Lisa Howell
did PoH with her class, and a Kindergarten class joined in as well. Last year
five classes participated, and their project inspired several other CLC schools
to begin taking on PoH activities. This year seven classes participated; it
just keeps expanding. The school has also started to build up a resources
library to support the learning, with related books, teacher videos, comics
etc…
Asked about the value of
repeating the project annually, Lisa Howell commented “In the first year you’re
just scratching the surface, it’s such a huge history; you just can’t cover it
in a year. And, kids are just starting to grapple with the idea. We can never
“be done” learning about IRS.”
She went on to highlight the
fact that extending the learning has created the opportunity for
student-leaders to emerge, “As some students become comfortable and
knowledgeable they can help teach, it makes it more of an active learning
environment.”
This year teachers used
lessons from the 100 Years of Loss Kit and some classes screened the “We were children”
film before decorating the PoH tiles. In total 120 students participated, with
about 40 being First Nation, Inuit and Metis students. The students got to
choose a final shape for a large art piece that incorporated their tiles. This
year they chose to create a giant medicine wheel, and revealed it at a school
assembly.
Cree
Elder Mary Lou Iahtail visited the school, as she has done each year, to perform
a smudging ceremony. The students’
relationship to Mary-Lou has deepened each year. She has also come to share
stories and lead discussions with them. “She’s like a grandmother figure for
them now.” Lisa said. Dermot Guinnane, CLC Coordinator added that when they
asked for someone to prepare a thank you speech, “A grade one boy, one who has
a lot of difficult behaviours, volunteered. He spoke from his heart and told
her ‘We really wanted to thank you. It’s really special to us when you come.’ And
then he hugged her.”
Principal David McFall now views
PoH as part of the school ethos of compassion. It was new to him at first, but
now sees it included under PETE’s “safe & healthy schools approach”.
Ms.Howell pointed out that having an elder visit the classroom, learning the
history, it really opens up the heart and spirit domains, aspects of holistic
development that are sometimes harder to address.
This has a positive impact
on all students, but is especially important for schools with First Nation
students, to address some of the additional aspects that help to make a school
“safe and healthy for First Nations students. “When the elder comes in it feels
more like home for them. They see some of their own culture rather than
colonial culture reflected,” Ms.Howell said, pointing out the links to increased
belonging.
Mr.Guinnane also added a
quick story – “It happened on the day Mary Lou came in to do smudging with the
student’s tiles, that a parent who is also a supply teacher brought a class to
the ceremony. He said afterwards ‘That was unbelieveable!’ He was really
moved.” Like most people who become involved with PoH, he affirmed the
importance of the teachers doing this, and that we all need to do more of this.
Next year PETES will do PoH
again, but Ms.Howell pointed out that she wants to keep adapting the project
each year. “Next year we want to focus more on our local area and history. She
also pointed out that since the history is still emerging through the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and efforts by Aboriginal organizations, the
contemporary situation is rapidly evolving. “So the tiles and other parts of
the project provide continuity, but the context is changing every year.”
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