Kopahawakenum School student Tyson Bruce with his teacher Ms. Chelsea Aistine. (Submitted photo/Chris Bruce)

By Nicole Reis

Class Dismissed

Kopahawakenum Community School students receive weekly lesson packages during closure

Apr 6, 2020 | 1:49 PM

Passionate teachers and staff of Kopahawakenum Community School at Flying Dust First Nation are making sure students stay engaged in learning and helping parents keep kids in a structured setting while schools remain temporary closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Principal Ken Gaudin told meadowlakeNOW the school initiated weekly delivery of home-learning packages so students maintain their current skill level.

“Students who have discontinuity in their learning tend to lose what they’ve learned,” Gaudin said. “We see that over the course of summer break and even over Christmas and Easter holidays. We maintain the kids’ knowledge and skill level at least to the level where they are now.”

Gaudin said when schools closed in mid-March, 50 per cent of students received a package then. Now the remaining students have been covered with a second set of weekly educational content based on grade level.

In addition to packages, the school is making 20 laptop computers available to be distributed to student families for distance learning. The school is in the process of setting up virtual classrooms where students can get remedial help or assistance with school work once a week in small group settings.

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Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 packages focus on literacy and numeracy and land-based learning with supplemented arts and crafts. The package also incorporates Cree language elements.

Grade 4-6 include literacy and numeracy components and land-based learning including cross-curricular items.

Grade 7-8 focuses on literacy and numeracy in subject areas and land-based learning. Included in packages are a guide to how much learning should happen each day and a suggested study schedule for students.

“We think it’s important to make the outreach to parents and reassure them that we’re there and we want kids to know we still think they’re important,” Gaudin said.

Teacher, Chris Bruce has been putting the packages together for students and said she is incorporating online education tools such as Lexia Learning and Mathletics as an interactive tool to teaching where staff monitor and maintain control of material.

“Parents and kids are excited to have something to do,” she said.

Students are formatively evaluated which means staffs are keeping track of marks and performance for report card purposes. Staff are working on a revision of the year’s curriculum thus far.

Staring April 20, the program will move into new content for students once the electronic system is fully functioning.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722