Indigenous Education
Land-Based PD Offered By QUILLS
For the past two years, the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS) has been working on a new program called QUILLS (Queen’s University Indigenous Land-Based Learning STEM)
We have created STEM activities for grades 7 to 10, centering Indigenous land-based knowledge and integrating the latest in science research conducted locally. The units focus on some of the most pressing environmental issues facing humankind such as invasive species, biodiversity loss, global climate change, and contaminants in the environment. These units include short videos that highlight local Indigenous land-based perspectives and knowledges and act as companion pieces to the Bundles. This project was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and involved the input of diverse stakeholders, including local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, teachers, and Faculty from Queen’s University.
The topics addressed over the weekend include:
- The foundational role of reciprocity, interdependence, and holism in Indigenous ways of knowing and being;
- The importance of spirituality and ceremony;
- The Honorable Harvest;
- Encouraging students to enter into reciprocal relationships with the land;
- The role of language and storytelling in STEM teaching;
- The importance of relationship building and inviting Indigenous community members into learning spaces;
- The difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation;
- The role of allies in decolonizing STEM teaching and learning;
- Writing a meaningful land acknowledgement;
- Where and how to access QUILLS Learning Bundles and videos.
PD will be held at Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (1500 Hewlett-Packard Road, Perth Road Village) from 9:30 AM to 5:00pm on Saturday, November 19th and 9:30am to 4:00 PM on Sunday, November 20th. An elective Saturday evening program by the bonfire is offered from 7-8:30pm.
Participants are welcome to stay over Saturday night in one of our heated cabins for ($50 +HST). There is no program fee for this pilot PD session. Participants will have access to a central kitchen in the main pavilion and are asked to bring their own food for all meals. Coffee/tea will be provided. Current covid protocols will be followed and masking indoors is encouraged.
As many of our activities will be outdoors, we ask that you bring appropriate clothing for the weather.
If you are interested in joining us for the weekend please register using the following link. This also how you can book your accommodations. The registration deadline is November 4th, 2022.
All materials and videos will be made available for free on the QUILLS website in the coming months: https://elbowlakecentre.ca/education/quills-program/
We are also happy to answer any questions you may have! Please direct queries to:
emily.verhoek@queensu.ca or alice.johnston@queenu.ca
Participants will be selected on a first come first serve basis and according to the alignment of their teaching assignment to the focus of the PD.
We are so excited to kick start the QUILLS program this fall and hope to see you at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre on November 19th and 20th!
Do you have school-aged Métis children attending K-12 Public Education in Ontario and are looking for support and resources through the MNO?
MNO’s Education Support Advocates (ESA) are pleased to invite families to attend an ‘Individual Education Plans’ learning session. In this session, the concepts of Individual Education Plans (IEP) are explored. Our ESA Advocates will outline an example of an IEP and thoroughly examine each part including: Accommodations, modifications, alternative programs and transition plans. This session will be hosted virtually on Zoom and led by one of our MNO Education Support Advocates.
Session Special Topic: Individual Education Plans
Thursday, October 20, 2022
7:00 to 8:30 PM EST
Here is the link: Individual Education Plans (IEP) Learning Session - Métis Nation of Ontario (metisnation.org)
Please register by emailing educationadvocacy@metisnation.org
Deadline to register is Wednesday, October 19 2022
From MNO: Disconnect to Reconnect
WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TEENS AND TECH SPEAKER SERIES
There is a Gift card draw at the end of each session for those attending!
For any questions/concerns, please contact Taylor Rawson at TaylorR@metisnation.org
Indigenous Education Team Referral Form
The Indigenous Education Team is pleased to open our Referral Form for the 2022-2023 School Year. The Referral Form will be linked in this email and will also be available on the K-12 Indigenous Education Minds Online page.
The Referral Form can be used to access a variety of supports for Indigenous students, staff, and LDSB schools and classrooms. Services provided by the team include but are not limited to, support for individual students, alternative programming requests, support for Indigenous families, support for individual educators and staff, classroom support, administration support, whole school support, cultural programming and projects, and Indigenous community member visits.
The Referral Form will be reviewed weekly on Tuesdays by the team. We ask each educator to fill out their own referral form. Please note that for Indigenous community member visits, all visitations should be approved by the Indigenous Education Team. Visits that are not approved may be charged back to the school.
Please see the Referral Form linked here for more information on the form and how to fill it out. Please share with your staff at your earliest convenience.
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Liv Rondeau, Elementary Indigenous Student Support and Engagement Teacher at rondeaul@limestone.on.ca.
Upcoming opportunities for Métis youth in grades 7 & 8, as well as grades 10, 11, & 12
There are also posters attached that provide more information on each of the camps.
If you have Métis youth in your class or learning community who may be interested in these opportunities, please feel free to share the information with them and their families.
For more information, please see the posters attached that indicate who to contact for each camp.
An Exciting Performance this Fall at the Isabel featuring Indigenous Artists:
Classic Roots on November 12 at 11am - best suited for little ones aged 6+.
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts is offering access to these shows at no cost for students, families, or members of the community who would not normally attend the arts (whether it be economic or social barriers).
"If you have equity-deserving students or families in mind that would be interested in attending these performances, please let me know and we would be happy to have them as our guest.
To secure guest tickets, please email (a.dehoop@queensu.ca) specifying the performance, the guests full name, phone number, and how many guest tickets needed. Our team wi
Remain Modern presents a multimedia installation of the Witness Blanket
Uncovering Indigenous Histories: Walking Tour
There is a new resource available under content in the K-12 Indigenous Education course on Minds Online. The resource is called 'Uncovering Indigenous Histories: Walking Tour' and was developed by several individuals within the Limestone District School Board - we are thankful to them for their dedication to Indigenous education, truth, and reconciliation. This inquiry resource has been designed to engage students in a primary document inquiry, combine the inquiry with a tour or to lead students on a self-guided tour.
We encourage you to take a look at this new resource.