The curriculum developed is designed to enable children to succeed WITHOUT requiring parents to have any Ojibwe language skills.
The goal of our K-5 Ojibwe Bilingual Program is to shape our students into language and knowledge keepers who ensure the stories and words of yesterday and today are shared for generations to come.
Speaking, reading and writing Anishinaabemowin helps students reclaim their roots, take pride in their identities and shed some of the shame history has placed upon their culture.
Classes are taught by Anishinaabe teachers who know and live the culture. Lessons β rooted in numerous traditional teachings β involve many hands-on experiences that help enrich studentsβ cultural and language growth.
Students enrolled in the Ojibwe Bilingual Program receive instruction in core subject areas in both Ojibwe and English. Lessons are taught in each language approximately half the day.
Students participate in:
- Drum teachings
- Turtle teachings
- Gender teachings
- Thirteen Moon teachings
- Traditional song and dance
- Guest speaker presentations, delivered in both Ojibwe and English
- Traditional food preparation and meal sharing
Free bussing with be offered to residents of Seven Oaks School Division. The program is open to all students Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal as well as students living outside the division.
Parents/Guardians can register their students at Riverbend Community School.
Offering Indigenous languages classes builds from a vision that was forged through our divisional PATH planning process. It was again outlined as a goal within our Indigenous Education Policy.
We believe the Indigenous Bilingual Program will give children the chance to trace the footsteps of their ancestors through language, culture and traditions.