Congratulations to local educator, Laurie Clayton, who has earned the 2018 Schulich School of Education Associate Teacher Award.
Clayton has been teaching with the Near North District School Board since 2000. This past school year, she taught grades 5/6 at Silver Birches Elementary School.
She was nominated by the Nipissing Education student she supervised. She was selected for the award out of 11 nominations by a committee of professors at Nipissing University.
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On the evening of Tuesday, June 12th, Humphrey Public School had a grand opening and dedication of the Humphrey Outdoor Learning Space. The Outdoor Space is in honour of Fynn Bywater who was a student at Humphrey who passed away in 2015 when he was in grade 1.
There is a handmade bench in a central location in the space with the following inscription: “This Space is Dedicated to Fynn Bywater, Who Generously Shared with Us His Love of Learning Through Outdoor Exploration and Play.”
The grand opening included a smudging of the space led by Dave Rice who is an Elder at Wasauksing First Nation on Parry Island. He also shared at the event, about some of the work he has been doing with the students of Humphrey including work around the anishinabe medicine wheel.
The hope is that the space will inspire a natural curiosity, strengthen relationships and foster deep learning experiences. Along with a large platform for students to gather, present and learn, there is natural seating in a circular shape around the stage, re-purposed cable spools for tables and stumps for chairs. The teachers of Humphrey shared that the space can be used for rich learning opportunities across the curriculum and with students from Kindergarten to grade 8.
The students of Humphrey have created peace poles with colourful, inspiring messages and symbols scattered throughout the space. And finally, you enter and exit the space through eight “pollinator and local food” raised cedar beds which the students planted under the guidance of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve.
There were many local businesses who made generous donations to make this space an inspiring place to learn. As Mr. Krause, the principal shared, it takes many people and community partners to help a project like this come to fruition.
Woodland Public School is celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with two educational and interactive events on June 11 and June 15, 2018.
On Monday, June 11th, Woodland Public School hosted its second annual Woodland Teaching and Learning Powwow under the 
guidance of Aanmitaagzi, a company based in Nipissing First Nation, led by Sid Bobb and Penny Couchie and local artists, dancers, drummers, and singers. Through this event students and others in attendance learned all about powwow and the different dances.
The primary classes enjoyed the powwow from 9:00-10:00 AM, while junior students participated from 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM. Students and parents were encouraged to bring their dance regalia on this day.
On Friday, June 15th, junior students will be partaking in Woodland’s first National Indigenous Peoples Day run by Miss Allaire and grade 5 and 6 students registered in Native as a Second Language (Ojibwe). Classes will move from centre to centre learning about all our Indigenous Peoples of Canada and participating in a wide range of activities. We are excited for all the new understanding and awareness this day will bring to our students and staff!
Mii gwi Anishinabek wewena nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing.
"We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land here"
We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America)