New school to be centre of community

Page 15

Back to school supplies usually don't include sleeping bags, pillows and toothbrushes.

Then again, Pasqua First Nation has never had a first day of school such as this.

Many of the 97 children registered to attend the new Chief Paskwa Education Centre at Pasqua First Nation spent their first days of school-Sept. 1 and 2-on an overnight stay at the school. They also had an opportunity to play games, see their new classrooms, and take part in a cookout with the new teachers and staff.

"The idea is for the students to get to know the building, the staff, and each other before the school year started," said Kathy Jelinski, principal of the new school. "This is a way to build community and have fun."

Many of the students attending the Chief Paskwa Education Centre used to attend school at the Chief Ben Pasqua Hall, while others previously attended Fort Qu'Appelle elementary school.

The school is designed to accommodate up to 140 students from kindergarten to Grade 9. The school also has a library, computer lab, gymnasium and outdoor recreation facilities which include a track, soccer field and an outdoor hockey rink which can be converted into basketball courts and a roller hockey rink in the summer.

"We lack no facility," said Jelinski. "We've got everything we need for a full science program for primary and middle school students, as well as a very stocked library for our social studies courses.

"We're introducing a local curriculum, 'Teepee Teachings,' which will be incorporated on a daily basis," she added.

The new school will be a centerpiece for the Pasqua community, said band councilor Carolyn Stevenson, whose portfolio includes education. In addition to being a place of learning, she hopes the school will also be kept busy when the books are put away.

"We're looking for an after-school program co-ordinator so the facility can be used to its full potential every evening," she said.

"In the opinion of many of our community members, we don't have enough for our children to do. Now they have this facility, and we want to make sure it's used to its full potential."

In addition to youth sports programs that the school can host through its new facilities -soccer, baseball, softball and hockey -parents are also looking for other youth programs such as Girl Guides and 4-H, she added.

The campaign for a new school started with the parents on Pasqua, Stevenson explained.

"It started about two years ago. We had a community meeting regarding our own school. Todd Peigan, the chief at the time, did a head count and found that the parents were interested in having their own school.

"Without a lot of Chief Peigan's help, this school wouldn't have been a reality as soon as it's been."