North Vancouver School District
the natural place to learn©
Nov 09
Sutherland Secondary staff connect with the land and each other at Cheakamus Centre

By: Meghan Downie, Vice Principal, Sutherland Secondary

Sutherland Secondary staff had the opportunity to spend our first school-based professional day in late September at Cheakamus Centre.

The anchor for our learning and engagement that day--and for the year ahead--was (re)CONNECTION. What better place to dive into our theme than to spend the day outdoors, learning from the land and from each other on the grounds of Cheakamus.

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We started the day with a special presentation from courageous leader, Tsnomot (Brad Baker), District Principal, Indigenous Education, which grounded us in thought around truth, healing, and reconciliation and in reflection around the land that surrounds us and on which we have the opportunity to work, learn, and live every day. As Brad spoke, salmon jumped in the lake behind him and the sun poked out from behind the trees, and we could tell this was going to be a special day.

Experiential learning at its finest, Tchilaqs7tchila (Gordon Dick), Indigenous Support Worker, guided staff through lessons around creating original Indigenous art. He shared stories, generated laughter, and inspired many of our staff to bravely step out of their comfort zones, and bring these lessons back to their work at Sutherland.

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Conor McMullan, Director, Educational Programs at Cheakamus, guided us on a walk up the Cheakamus River, and staff were able to witness the salmon on their final leg of their spawning migration. We were able to make many connections to classroom curriculum, to relationships, and to life.

As we connected to the land, we also connected deeply with one another. The opportunity to breathe in the fresh air, walk through the trees, play Indigenous games, and explore the gardens (and the goats!) allowed for conversations and for laughter. After a year and a half of being distanced from one another, this allowed the opportunity to really reconnect.

To finish the day, and to align with the TRC's Calls to Action, we posed questions to staff: How will your learning today impact your practice? What is one thing you will commit to do after today? What is your 'call to action'? We continue to dig into these responses at Sutherland and to shift our thinking and our practice in different ways.

Thank you to the team at Cheakamus Centre for the amazing guidance, support, and organization that day! We are lucky to have started our school year with such a wonderful experience.

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