WE DID IT!

On Jan 31, the First Nation School Board was established through the announcement of the official referendum results. A total of 8 out of 9 schools are joining the new school board which will be in operation for the 2022-23 school year. They are:

• Chief Zzeh Gittlit School, Old Crow

• Grey Mountain Primary School, Whitehorse

• Johnson Elementary School & Watson Lake Secondary School, Watson Lake

• Ross River School, Ross River

• St. Elias Community School, Haines Junction

• Takhini Elementary School, Whitehorse

• Nelnah Bessie John School, Beaver Creek

“Today, Yukoners have chosen reconciliation through their yes votes for the First Nation School Board. This historic day will reverberate throughout Turtle Island as the day a colonial government ceded responsibility of the administration of its schools to the first peoples of this land in a landmark agreement promising collaboration, inclusivity and good governance – to improve the outcomes of all Yukon students. This milestone is long in the making – it has been nearly 50 years since Yukon First Nations Chiefs demanded authority over education in Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow. Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the hard work begins.”

- Chair of Chiefs Committee on Education and Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm

Click to read full joint Media Release.

For more info, go to www.yfned.ca/fnsb

News coverage and congratulations are pouring in from across Canada to mark this historic moment.

New YFNED Math Program

How do we improve math results for Yukon’s Indigenous students?

To answer this question, YFNED has partnered with educators from Saskatchewan, NWT and Yukon — and hired a fantastic new Math Team. Marie Daniels, an experienced, highly skilled math educator and former principal of FH Collins Secondary School is our new Numeracy Coach and will work with teachers and students to create the conditions for increased success. We have also hired a team of YFNED Math Advocates to work directly with students who need more extensive help, and to set up engaging hands-on learning opportunities such as math camps and in-class activities using numeracy puzzles, games and challenges.

We’ve started by working closely with teachers in a professional learning community and focusing on three key questions: (1) Where is each student in relation to the curricular outcomes for math and how do we know?  For this, we are co-creating diagnostic approaches for each grade using a variety of materials. (2) How can teachers engage each student in closing their learning gaps? (3) How can teachers extend the learning for those who already are at the curricular level?  

We’re excited to commit to this long-term project, and are looking forward to seeing meaningful improvements in the success of our students in math over the next two-and-a-half years.

First Nation Education Conference Around the Corner

The third annual First Nation Education Conference is set to be a show-stopper! We’ve got a great line up of speakers (Ryan McMahon and Kendall Netmaker, to name a few!) and break-out sessions. We can’t wait to see everyone gathered together in Carcross for these two days of connection and inspiration.

To register: https://bit.ly/32Vy9LC

For bios, breakout session descriptions and more, please go to: www.yfned.ca/conference

Submit Your Recipe to the YFNED Cookbook!

The Nutrition Program is compiling a YFNED Cookbook featuring the best recipes from the wider Yukon First Nations community. Everyone’s invited to contribute!

You will be entered into a draw for a $250 groceries GIFT CARD!!!

Please email nutrition@yfned.ca the following:

• the recipe (ingredients list and instructions)

• a short story about how the recipe became a part of your life

• a photo or two of the dish if possible!

First Nation Education Advocates Don’t Slow Down

Between a cold snap and a COVID outbreak, our First Nation Education Advocates and Junior Advocates nimbly navigated their way through January and continued to provide support to students and families and facilitate First Nations learning activities in schools.

The Advocates provided regular supports at FH Collins Indigenous Academy, Aurora Virtual School, Individualized Learning Centre, Porter Creek Secondary, as well as assisting Annie Bernard at her Social-Emotional-Academic supports room at FH Collins Secondary. They were actively offering land-based and cultural activities at several Whitehorse schools including a fire-making workshop with kids at Elijah Smith Elementary.

Through the support of the Advocates, students from the Indigenous Academy at FH Colllins and Gadzoosdaa Residence all earned their Level 1 chainsaw certificate with the Yukon First Nation Wildfire team.

Here are a few additional highlights:

Mobile Therapeutic Unit Recap

Due to travel restrictions to the communities, the MTU did a lot of remote support of families with online therapeutic programming this January.

In Watson Lake, the MTU were invited to work with Liard First Nation, Watson Lake Secondary and Johnson Elementary to finish our hiring process on the first COMMUNITY JUNIOR ADVOCATE (CJA) pilot program in the Yukon. Eleven students from WLSS successfully completed our selection process and teams began orienting and training the CJAs to work with the grade 1 classes to provide extra support to students to help build their social, reading, math and language skills. This pilot would not have been possible without strong collaboration between YFNED, LFN, school council, administration, teachers, and students of Watson Lake. Expect lots more to come from this powerhouse group in the months ahead!

Over the coming months, both the Allied Health and Mental Wellness teams are making plans to work in the communities where we have been invited — all the while taking very strict precautions to reduce the risk of COVID transmission. Staff do rapid antigen test days before leaving Whitehorse. While in the community, all team members rapid test daily and do documented symptom checks.

In early February, teams are in Faro, Carcross and Haines Junction with tentative trips planned to Teslin, Watson Lake, Old Crow and Pelly later in the month.

Families and students of Old Crow and Ross River seeking counselling support are encouraged to reach out to our counsellor Michael Reynolds.

Early Years Activity Calendar

Working in Two Worlds Workshop

YFNED will be a hosting an education conference just for Community Education Liaison Coordinators (CELC’s), Education Support Workers (ESW’s) and other First Nation education workers called “Working in Two Worlds.” This two-day conference will be on March 1 & 2 at Haa Shagóon Hídi in Carcross. The conference will be centered around a recognition of the work that CELC’s and ESW’s do in supporting First Nations students. Agenda is being finalized and is packed full of fun and interactive workshops! Contact adrianna.wondga@yfned.ca for agenda and/or registration.

Welcome New Staff

Bonnie Mervyn is a First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun (FNNND) citizen and is joining YFNED as an Early Years Visitor who will support the FNNND and community of Mayo.

Kara Went is joining YFNED as a cook in Faro as part of our Rural Nutrition Program.

Megan McKenna is joining us as an Early Years visitor. Megan is a Secwépemc woman, raising two southern tutchone baby girls.

Amanda Edwards is a new cook with the Nutrition team working out of FH Collins Secondary.

Alex deBruyn joins YFNED as one of our new Math Advocates.

For full staff bios and headshots, please visit our Meet the Team page on our website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Feb 16 & 17 First Nations Education Commission (FNEC) meets

Mar 1 & 2 First Nation Education Advocates, CELC, ESW, ESC Conference

Mar 23 & 24 3rd Annual First Nation Education Conference