Bkejwanong Kinomaagewgamig

Education Vision:

Walpole Island is a place where learning is highly valued. All individuals have the opportunity to develop their full social, intellectual, economic, cultural and physical potential. The WIFN Board of Education is the leader in ensuring equitable opportunities for lifelong learning by ensuring that:

• All children will start school each day ready to learn.

• They will graduate from school with a zest for learning, having achieved their personal best.

• They will be self-reliant, caring and responsible citizens.

• They will have the skills they need for employability and self-employment.

• They will be ready to take personal responsibility for lifelong learning.

Education Program Mission:

The mission of the Education Program is to provide leadership in the pursuit of excellence, and to create effective learning opportunities for all.

We will have acceptable results in the following areas:

Regulation and policies;

• Quality of programs and services;

• Community and student satisfaction;

• Accessibility and equity of programs and services;

• Employee satisfaction.

Our Goals:

• Improve lifelong learning outcomes. Build and develop the capacity of individuals to be self-reliant (reduce poverty).

• Increase community satisfaction with services. Celebrate and preserve the diversity of our natural and cultural heritage and recognize the contributions of First Nations people (develop caring community).

• Increase employee satisfaction.

• Improve collaboration with our partners (LKDSB, Surrounding First Nations, etc.)

• Improve accountability – To have effective plans that identify, reduce and manage risks.

• To raise and sustain necessary levels of literacy and education and foster a climate that supports lifelong learning.

• To develop an educational facility that reflects our culture and heritage and inspires community pride and sense of place.

Education Structure:

• Elementary – 270 students and 42 staff including teachers, EA’s, custodial staff

• Secondary (High School) approx. 150 students and 3 staff

• Post Secondary – college and university

• Continuing Education – Alternative GED program – approx. 50 for 2007-2008 academic school year

• Alternative and Continuing Education Centre (ACEC)

• Administration and Finance – 5 staff

Administration and Educational Services Provided:

• Policy, Planning and Evaluation administration

• Finance and School Operations

• Technology in Learning

• Human Resources Section

Stakeholders:

• Students

• Community – parents, grandparents, guardians, families

• Employer – Chief and Council, Board of Education

• AANDC and other funding sources

A Vision for Education:

Students…

• Start school every day ready to learn. Get enough sleep. Exercise. Eat food that is good for your body. Talk to someone you trust if you are having problems.

• Find out what kinds of skills employers are looking for and make sure you find ways – in school and outside – to develop those skills. Volunteer in your community. Build a portfolio to demonstrate your accomplishments.

• Give learning the time it needs. Balance school, play and part-time work. Study. Do your homework. Invest now so you will have more earning power and more choices later.

• Develop good work and learning habits. Talk to other students about how they approach projects and assignments. Help others. Have fun.

• Stay in school until you graduate. Plan your next steps. Your future depends on it.

• Proposed expansion of WIES for music, art, industrial arts, home economics, and botany

Families…

• Help your children start school each day ready to learn. Ensure they get a good breakfast. Give them a safe, healthy and loving home.

• Read to your children from the time they are babies. Have them read to you and make sure they see you reading. Tell stories.

• Expect hard work at school. Talk to your children about why school is important. Encourage them to talk about what they are doing in school. Know what work teachers expect, and make sure your children complete it.

• Recognize the importance of employability skills to your children’s future and help them make good choices.

• Get involved in your children’s learning. Be aware of the role that technology is playing. Find out about after-school and summer programs. Talk to teachers. Encourage schools to develop partnerships in the community.

WIFN Chief, Council and WIFN Board of Education…

• Be a champion for education. Celebrate, showcase and reward your employees for getting involved.

• Partner with schools, colleges and universities where our children attend. Share resources and provide opportunities for students and teachers to learn first-hand about the world of work. Participate in co-op, apprenticeship, intern, mentoring and other programs.

• Communicate the importance of skills for employability. Talk to educators, students and parents. Ask for student portfolios. Demonstrate that working hard and doing well in school counts. When you employ students, help them balance school and work.

• Help ensure that students have access to the tools and technology they need, either in the classroom or elsewhere. Make our workplace family friendly. Support your employees to be good parents.

Action:

• A good education is critical to the economic and social well-being of our young people.

• Support our schools.

• Each of us can make a difference in the quality and impact of a student’s education. It will take all of us to ensure that young people learn what they need to learn to succeed in the next century (generations to come).