May 31, 2024

We can be Heros! 

We come from good people. At St’a7mes school we use our strengths to support one another; we are all connected. We show kindness, treat others with dignity and respect. We care for people in need.  We are connected to and we represent our family, ancestors, and community. We work with exertion and diligence.  

Ha7lh Skwayel Families -  

We can be heros!   

Wow! What an amazing last couple of weeks of May we’ve had - growing, knowing, understanding and doing.   

LEX students have been out in the field doing all sorts of work with their Ethnobotany project. Last week they had guest teachers at the school helping to determine what plants to include in their class the garden, and then how to take care of them. This week they did a plant walk at Alice Lake and next week they will go to the Cheakamus Center to learn about how mushrooms communicate under the ground to each other and other species! They will actually be able to use technology that uses a microphone to go under the ground and they will be able to hear the plants communicating with each other.  Amazing!!!!!   If you watched the apple T.V. production of Ted Lasso, you may have heard references to plants and trees communicating to each other. We are excited to be able to experience this knowledge firsthand. 

Today LEX students were at the printers.  Thanks to our CMOS teacher for organizing, students have been working with a local screenprint artist to design graphics for T-shirts.  Today they had their shirts printed and they are ready to take home and wear.   

Last week our Indigenous Leadership Group took the trip up to Pemberton Secondary School for the 24 hour drum.  This is the final meeting of the District Indigenous Leadership Team. The students had been preparing all year how they wanted to spend their time together sharing culture.  They decided that each school would create a workshop for the others to attend. Our school was part of the morning session sharing song and dance.  With the help of Anthony the students led the Spakwus Slolem and Greeting of the Day.  Students attended workshops to make bone bracelets, medicine bags, learn about Indigenous plants, play knobby sticks, and learned some Ucwalmícwts, the language of the L’wat Nation.   

This past weekend our Indigenous Leadership Group was honored in an opening ceremony for their contribution to the Sp’akw’us Feather Park at the Squamish Oceanfront.  Matthew’s West – the developing company for the park – met with our student group last year to collaborate on ideas for the stories represented and the structures of the play pieces.  If you haven’t had a chance yet to go to the park I highly recommend it. It’s beautiful. The power of nature (the wind, the majestic land and water scape surrounding!) mixed with the well-designed play places and infrastructure makes it the perfect place to take in the collaboration of creation between human and the divine.  We had planned to take our younger grades on a field trip to the park, but the trip has been postponed as we had inclement weather earlier this week.   

Grades 3+ students participated in the District Track Meet last week.  Thanks to Kye for organizing and coaching the group.  

We are coming up to our last weeks together.  There is much to learn and do still.   The weather is meant to turn on the heat next week.  Please ensure the kids come prepared with sunscreen, a hat and water bottle.   

Coming Dates -  

Mon June 3– Gr. 10 Numeracy Assessment.  

Mon – June 3 – Nuefeld Farms order deadline  

Wed June 5 – Gr 10 Literacy Assessments 

Thurs. June 6 – LEX to Cheakamus Center – Mushroom Talk 

Tues. June 11 – Neufeld Farms Delivery 

June 20th – LEX to Cinematique  

June 21 – Indigenous People’s Day 

June 26 – Year end Assembly, Last full Day of School.   

June 27th –  Report Card Pick Up and Class Farwell, Students dismissed at 10:00 am  

We have a lot to look forward to! I hope you have a restful weekend rich with connection with friends and family as you welcome in the month of June.  

 Most Sincerely,  

Alysa Patching, Principal. 

Last year the St'a7mes School Indigenous Leadership Youth helped in designing the playground that has been built at the new Oceanfront Development (old Nexen Beach).  With support from their Culture and Language Teachers Charlene Williams, Roxy Lewis and Kwewawtenaat Virginia Johnston  the youth decided to design a playground that represented important Skwxwu7mesh legends and stories.

The youth started by deciding on specific stories that are relevant and tied to that place. They then brainstormed the play structures that they enjoyed playing on the most and this is where the magic began. With the help of playground architects the youth molded and built small scale models of play structures that represented important Skwxwu7mesh symbols, creatures and people present in the stories passed down to them from their ancestors.  After months of back and forth with designers and builders we had a park that represented our vision.

This past week that park was given a Skwxwu7mesh name and blessing as part of its opening ceremony. On Saturday the youth along with several carvers were stood up and honored for their work.

If you have time before the year is over we would highly recommend you and your students go check out the playground. There are signs and QR codes that you can scan and listen to the youth explain how different legends are represented in the structure!

Attached are some photos from the opening celebrations, enjoy!

The youth involved were:

• Gavin Lewis  - Skwxwu7mesh
• Kylie August - Skwxwu7mesh
• Woody Pouliot-Ikuallaq - Inuit
• Collins Billy - Skwxwu7mesh
• Hazel Paull - Skwxwu7mesh
• Dawson Fenton - Xwisten Nation
• Rachel Fenton - Xwisten Nation
• Kaltee Baker - Skwxwu7mesh
• Leah Baker - Skwxwu7mesh
• Shawna Baker - Skwxwu7mesh
• Avery Lewis Baker - Skwxwu7mesh
• Jasmine Baker - Skwxwu7mesh and Kwakwaka'wakw Nation

The canoe carving was completed by Matthew Baker and his son Liam Baker. Youth got to work on the canoe with an adze and sanding.

On Saturday, May 25th the St’a7mes school Indigenous youth leadership group was honoured for their work in designing the playground at the oceanfront park.

We are excited to announce that our LEx Leadership Class is hosting another Neufeld Farms Fundraiser. The money raised will go towards creating our LEx film project. 

Orders are due by June 3rd and the pick up is scheduled for June 11th at 4:00pm at the School.

Please click on the link below to access the fundraiser. Please note that payment is by credit card only. 

Neufeld Farms Order Form

Thank you in advance for your support!

The LEx Leadership Class 

We are thrilled that summer is just around the corner! There are still spots available in our STEAM-subjects based summer camps. This year, we are excited to introduce a Spanish program at our Northyard community location. For more details, please visit www.kiddosteam.ca. To register for our summer camp, please go to https://kiddosteam.ca/summer-camps.