Eskasoni Mi’kmaq Immersion Program

1. Eskasoni Mi’kmaq Immersion Program Presentation by: Starr Sock & Ida Johnson-Denny

2. Brief History Year 2000 Started as a pilot project 2 Mi’kmaq-speaking teachers were hired to teach Mi’kmaq Immersion. New Curriculum had to be developed and translated into Mi’kmaq on an on-going basis as the need arose. As the number of grades increased the need for more curriculum resulted in hiring a curriculum team to work over the summer preparing materials for different grade levels. This provided the classroom teachers with materials they could readily use in the classroom, resulting in freeing up the teacher’s to devote more time in student interaction.

3. The Need for More Mi’kmaq Immersion Teachers • As time went on, more children were enrolled into the program. Therefore, more teachers who were up to the challenge taught in Mi’kmaq Immersion To meet the growing demand for Mi’kmaq Immersion teachers the Mi’kmaq Immersion Teaching Certification Program (the first of its kind in Canada) was offered in the year 2000 to any First Nation community that was interested. In the year of 2003, St. Thomas University had its first ever graduates from such a unique program. • Curriculum was being built in the process of the years to come. It had all the provincial outcomes and reflected Mi’kmaq values,customs and traditions.

4. Mi’kmaq Immersion Curriculum Highlights • Teachers Dedication and Commitment resulted in establishing more and more material to keep this program alive! • They continuously made songs, books, worksheets, spellers, and even classroom poster that intrigued and motivated young children. • Parents gave their approval and full support to the program. • A study by St. F.X. University through Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey was undertaken in 2005. It determined that the results of the Mi’kmaw Immersion program were very positive and that it was a worthwhile project to continue and to support fully.

5. Alphabet Song • When the program first started, Ida Johnson-Denny and Elizabeth Paul created an alphabet song. • This song was a crucial tool for students to remember the phonetic sounds of the Mi’kmaq Alphabet using the Smith Francis Orthography • When the children learned the song in Kindergarten, it helped them throughout their years of learning, to read and write in Mi’kmaq

6. Did they learn the Mi’kmaq Way! Hmmm…..

7. We just reinforced who they were! • Most of the children who came into the program were not fluent in the Mi’kmaq language. • Mi’kmaq Immersion teachers spoke the language through commands, songs, chants, poems, stories, visual aids and so forth. • The Mi’kmaq way of life was also a part of the program because it was who they were

8. Mi’kmaq Way of Life • Mi’kmaq immersion teachers not only taught the curriculum, they also worked hard in teaching the children their identity as Mi’kmaq people. (Ta’n Telo’ltimk) Teachers stressed the importance of respect. Respect for one another, respect for elders, respect for nature, respect for the Mi’kmaq language. Children did not put each other down or belittle each other because the teacher would not allow it. • There were few behavioral problems and children were rarely sent to the principal’s office. Immersion teachers handled the discipline and the behavior was handled at that time. They were spoken to in their own language and the children would just get it and stop the inappropriate behavior.

9. Fluency of Kindergarten Students at 4 years old

10. Learning Outcomes from Kindergarten to Grade 2 • Provincial Curriculum (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) • Specialty classes (Art, Music, Gym) • Teaching sight words • Mi’kmaq alphabet • Reinforce alphabet sounds through combinations, such as: Pa pe pi po pu • Phonetic Language, therefore we sound out everything!! • Mi’kmaq Speller • English classes twice a week

11. Immersion Fluency at the end of Grade 2

12. Grade 3 Transition Year In Grade Three, students already know how to read and write in the Mi’kmaq orthography. They continue to practice writing in Mi’kmaq, reading in Mi’kmaq, and they also continue the Mi’kmaq Speller Students also start to read and write extensively in the English language.

13. Accomplishments By grade three, most immersion students are able to carry on conversations in Mi’kmaq with elders, and can read and write their language with a sophistication that rivals that of graduating grade 12 students in their communities. On average students are at least as successful or better in reading and writing English by the end of grade three as their counterparts who are enrolled in English programming.

14. Resource offered • Students who have difficulty in language arts or math get extra help from a Resource teacher. • This has been the first year that we have had a full time Resource Teacher. • For two years we only had a part time resource Teacher. • The success rate for children who received extra help has shown a considerable improvement.

15. Where are they now • Right now, the first group of students who went through the Mi’kmaq Immersion Program are in Grade 7 • Teachers throughout the years have commented on how these students (immersion) are more respectful of teachers and other students, more driven, wanting to be challenged more in their academic work.

16. Reading Levels and Comprehension • Right now, there are astounding findings of reading levels and comprehension • 71% of the children who have gone through the Mi’kmaq Immersion program are at levels Y or Z, with their comprehension being at that level as well • 36% of children who were in the regular English instruction were at levels Y or Z

17. More Accomplishments • After viewing the Grade 7 accomplishments - Fluency in Reading and writing in English, we went further to look for the accomplishments in previous grades.

18. Grade 6 77% Immersion at X, Y, or Z level 37% Regular English Instruction at the same level Continued… Grade 5 65%Immersion at X, Y, or Z level 47% Regular English Instruction at the same level

19. Future Goals • To have Mi’kmaq Immersion Curriculum in a publishable form such as text books, story books and various charts so that they may be shared with other schools. Establish an advisory panel to facilitate the standardization of vocabulary.

20. Recommendations (Wish List) • All students in the Mi’kmaq Immersion Program come out conversing in Mi’kmaq in a natural and fluent manner. • There is a need for smaller class sizes to allow for a better teacher-student dialogue. This will allow the teachers to provide more one to one instruction where necessary. • We would like to have a teacher aides to assist Immersion teachers so that they could provide more one on one with students who need extra help.

21. Change grade 3 learning instruction from 50/50 to 100% in Language Arts • Expand the Mi’kmaq Immersion into Grades 4 and 5 so that the Mi’kmaq Language would be firmly established with Mi’kmaq learners. • Have more books and related posters that have First Nations content so children could see ‘themselves” within these books and posters.

22. Hire an on-going curriculum team to develop/translate the Grade 3, 4 and 5 Language Arts, and revise existing curriculum • Need to have more teachers certified in teaching immersion. 25 teachers were interested in this sort of certification if it was to be offered.

23. Since one teacher is retiring this year 7 teachers within our school were interested in an Immersion position when asked at this morning’s meeting. (more will be retiring within the next 5 years).

24. Wela’liek! Any Questions?