Transcript Punnichy Community High School

Punnichy Community High School
Career Transition Initiative Project
Promising Practices Symposium
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Larry Bedel, Don Sangster,
Herman Blind, Ray Horney, Albert Pinacie,
Donna Nurse, Julie Bedel
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
 Grade 9-12 school with a student population around 200 students
 100% of students are First Nation
 Staffing Component of 17 FTE teachers, 1 full time personal counselor,
1 Career Counselor/Life Skills teacher and .5 Band Liaison plus
support staff
 Serves the communities of
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Punnichy
Day Star First Nation
George Gordon First Nation
Muskowekwan First Nation
 K-8 feeder schools – Punnichy Elementary Community School, George
Gordon Education Center and Muskowekwan School
 Community School Status
 Located on highway #15 in the Touchwood Hills, 128 NE of Regina and
220 SE of Saskatoon
 First Nations communities are members of Touchwood Agency Tribal
(TATC) and are part of Treaty 4
OVERALL PROJECT OUTCOMES
 Improved student retention rates
 Improved student graduation rates
 To enable students to gain experience and skills that
will help them to be successful in the next step of
their life - whether that next step is a job or further
education or training.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 Desire to formulate a formal partnership was first established in 2005
 Amalgamation put this on hold
 Desire and need to work together for improved student success
guided partners to engage in discussion in 2006-07 (Enhanced
Committee)
 January 22, 2007 first meeting of interested partners held
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First Nations Communities
Horizon School Division
Touchwood Agency Tribal Council (TATC)
Carlton Trail Regional College (CTRC)
Service Canada
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
Punnichy High School administration
 April, 2007 a formal proposal submitted to Department of Learning
(First Nation & Métis Branch). Approval received in June.
 Project facilitator hired in September 2007 to guide partners for the
creation and signing of a formal partnership agreement.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION, CONT’D
 January 21, 2008 a formal signing of the Partnership agreement was signed by
the 4 partners. The vision of the agreement is: “Creating opportunities for the
success of all students.”
 As part of agreement two committees formed
 Strategic Committee
 Action Committee
 Additional funding secured in fall of 2007 for the Career Development Action
Plan. Consultant hired to undertake a survey to hear the local voices. Report
issued in June, 2008. Accomplishments of this process:
 Students, schools staffs, parents and community members were given a voice.
 Information and data pertaining to project were shared with related parties and the
public.
 The Partnership Strategic Committee was provided with recommendations and action
plans.
 A strong working relationship, based upon “what is best for children”, developed
between the partnership members.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION, CONT’D
Funding application submitted to the
First Nation & Métis branch in June,
2008.
Funding Secured in August, 2008.
Hiring of a
50% Career/Life Skills teacher (Julie
Bedel)
Contracted consultant (Don Sangster)
Opportunities
for the
Success of all
students
Agreement
PARTNERS IN LEARNING
As deliberations continued, the partnership
grew. Some were involved as funders and
some were involved in programmming:
Ministry of Education
Carlton Trail Regional College (CTRC)
Partnership First Nations Bands (George
Gordon, Muskowekwan & Day Star)
Touchwood Agency Tribal Council (TATC)
Horizon School Division (HZSD)
PARTNERS IN LEARNING, CONT’D
Indian & Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
Advanced Education & Employment
CanSask Career & Employment Services
Industry
• BHP Billiton
• Raymore Co-operative
Service Canada
Town of Punnichy
PLANNED KEY
DELIVERABLES OF THE INITIATIVE
 Improved student retention and graduation rates
 Delivery of PAA courses that will provide students skills
that are marketable and reflect the “voices” of the
communities
 Offering of workshops, visits, tours, guest speakers to
increase cultural awareness of First Nations and Métis
ways of knowing for student and staff of PCHS.
 Development of personal Career portfolios and Career
Action Plans for every student in PCHS
 Expansion of the existing school facility to offer
increased skills and training programs.
MAIN OBJECTIVES, 2008-09
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In Sept., 2008 our main objectives were:
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Programming: Put in place skills and trades
programming during this school year by the start of the
fourth of five “learning blocks” (March, 2009)
Students: Identify & confirm enrolment of students
who would benefit from the programs planned as a
result of consultations.
Facilities: Obtain approval in principle for a building
addition at PCHS to accommodate the program in the
longer term and locate and refit a temporary site in the
short term.
Cultural Awareness: Deliver cultural awareness
training to the staff at PCHS.
1. Programming - Planning
 Consultation was the key ingredient to obtain
buy in and ownership
Informal discussions with community members, band
leaders, committee members, etc.
Community meeting held to gain input as to program
needs
Students in PCHS consulted – both in groups and
individually to gain input as to program interests and
needs
Committee brainstormed programs
1. Programming - Consultations
 Top Ten Results of Consultations:
*Carpentry
*Framing and Drywalling (sub-trades of carpentry)
*Oil Patch/mining safety programs
*Food prep and service areas
*Early Childhood Education, Teacher Assistant,
Childcare (Daycare)
*Welding
Computer Technology/Graphic Arts Design
Business Courses
Cosmetology
Life Skills
1. Programming – Confirmed Programs
 Carpentry Program (Outcomes)
Four high school elective credits
First Aid/CPR “C”
Safety Tickets:
 CSTS (Construction Safety Training System), H2S Alive,
WHMIS, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Confined
Spaces
Framing course from SIAST – towards Level I Carpentry
Up to 800 hours towards their Apprenticeship in
Carpentry
Life Skills/Employability Skills
Portfolio including resume, Career Plan, & evidence of
Employability Skills
1. Programming – Confirmed Programs
 Human Services Program (Outcomes)
 Four high school elective credits
 First Aid/CPR “C”
 Credits for the following modules from SIAST:
 HMD 100 – Child and Adolescent Development (from Educational
Ass’t/Early Childhood Education Certificate Programs)
 SFTY 184 – Crisis Preventiion (from EA/Rehab Worker/Youth Care
Worker Certificate Programs)
 CLTR 120 – Diversity (from Corrections Worker/ Aboriginal Police
Prep Programs)
 COMM 112 – Interpersonal Competence (Corrections
Worker/Aboriginal Police Prep Programs)
 Life Skills/Employability Skills
 Portfolio
2. Students
Carpentry Students
Identification Process
14 students – 4 from Grade 11, 5 from Grade
12, 2 taking correspondence, 3 who had quit
school and were not engaged in school or work
2. Students – The “A-Team”
2. Students – The “A-Team”
Rescue Mission
2. Students – Human Services
Identification Process
8 students – 5 from Grade 12, 1 taking
correspondence, 1 who had gone to
SIAST last fall and not been successful,
and 1 who had quit school and was not
engaged in school or work
2. Students – Human Services
“FabulUS”
2. Students – Having Fun and Learning
3. Facility
4. Cultural Awareness
Approaches to teaching explored
Service Learning
Project Based Learning
Workshop – Office of the Treaty Commissioner
4. Cultural Awareness
Underlying the teachings will be a holistic
First Nations way of knowing approach
Contacts
Larry Bedel
[email protected] 365-4888 (w) 338-8333 (c)
Don Sangster
[email protected] 729-4990 (h) 535-5589 (c)
Donna Nurse
[email protected] 835-2140 (school)
Julie Bedel
[email protected] 360-7027 (cell)