Staff at EMP are committed to improving the outcomes for Indigenous students and growing the understanding of all students in age-appropriate ways about the impact of colonization and residential schools. We recognize that everyone has a shared responsibility to implement the 94 Calls to Action, 17 of which touch upon education, in order to work towards reconciliation.
We follow the BC Curriculum, which contains age appropriate content related to Indigenous peoples’ history, and includes the residential school era.
We think critically about the resources we use in class and ensure they are vetted by the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC).
We participate in professional development days specifically supporting teachers to implement Indigenous content.
We have learning staff meetings where we work with our Indigenous education support worker (IESW) and our district vice-principal for Indigenous learning and equity.
We use targeted funding for "over-and-above" supports for Indigenous students, and work to bring local Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and cultural performers / artists from near and far into our school.
We plan "learning with the land" activities on a regular basis.
We celebrate the uniqueness of every child, and welcome the sharing of culture, language, stories, and families in our school.
