have to keep in mind that a lot of our teachers are not from our community; they’re from other parts of Ontario, Canada, or the world. We do a lot of work with them to ensure that they’re using a culturally appropriate methodology in the classroom.” Speaking of those teachers from other places,Angela explains that one of the unique responsibilities of the School Board is housing them since there are no market rental accommodations available in either Moosonee or Moose Factory. “The high school has 23 housing units and our elementary panel has 16, so we have places for our staff to live when they come to work here,” she states. Some who come are teachers in training from Laurentian University in Sudbury; others come from Queens University’s Indigenous Studies Department, which has an Indigenous teacher education program for K-6.“We have three sisters working in our school, right now, that have gone through the program.They love our schools. There are so many opportunities for professional growth.” EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL Starting with early childhood, there is an early learning kindergarten (ELK) program for fouryear-olds, and a partnership with the Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) program, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, which supports the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of Indigenous children, while supporting their parents and guardians. A partnership is with Payukotayno James and Hudson Bay Family Services, which serves communities located along the western James Bay coast. It is one of 47 Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario that protects children from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect, while also providing parents and caregivers with the support they need to build healthy families. The district’s elementary school has a STEM curriculum and Angela reports that the school is well-equipped with technology. “Our teachers are engaging with smart boards, and we learn digitally,” Angela says. “We have Google School Care. We use the Google platform – Google Docs, any of the Google software, Google Read and Write -- for students. Technology is a way to learn and support learning and we educate our students on its safe and appropriate use. “Moosonee and Moose Factory is a fairly remote location that’s only accessible by train or plane and by ice road in the wintertime,” says Carman. 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 JAMES BAY LOWLANDS SECONDARY SCHOOL BOARD & MOOSONEE DISTRICT AR
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