Fort Smith (May 12/03) - After several years of work, the South Slave Divisional Education Council's Literacy Project Committee is being honoured by the Department of Education.

The project is one of three winners of the 2002-2003 Ministerial Literacy Award. Co-ordinator Michelle Sabean says the award is not just a recognition of the committee, but also for the students, teaching staff and everyone who supports the project.

News/North: What was your reaction to the Literacy Project Committee receiving the Ministerial Literacy Award?

Michelle Sabean: I was very excited for the committee. The committee is made up of 10 members, teachers from every school in the South Slave. So I was very excited for all the work and effort that they put into it. I was very proud of them for what they accomplished.

N/N: Why did the committee receive the award?

MS: Our committee is working in the five communities of the South Slave -- Lutsel K'e, Fort Resolution, Hay River Reserve, Hay River and Fort Smith -- and working with the schools, the teachers, the parents, the families and the community members to improve literacy in our region.

N/N: How was literacy focused on as a concern in the South Slave?

MS: The school principals in the South Slave in the winter of 1999 identified literacy as the region's number one priority. The South Slave Divisional Education Council endorsed that focus by approving the staffing of a regional literacy co-ordinator. That's me. And I've been working at this since 2000.

N/N: Was literacy at that time not at the level the board wanted to see?

MS: Correct. The principals and the divisional education council wanted more of an emphasis on literacy. The committee went to the next level, wanting to focus at the kindergarten to Grade 3 level. That committee also includes high school teachers, and they felt that by focusing on K-3 initially we would start to see the benefits as the years go on.

N/N: Have the goals changed since the beginning?

MS: We're moving into Grades 4-6 next year. And we're looking at math and numeracy ... The literacy project has four components, which are partnership-building, literacy programming, family literacy and best practices.

N/N: Have all those components been initiated?

MS: Our K-3 goals are almost all complete. The literacy committee brainstormed strategies for Grades 4-6, and we're just getting ready to get input from the staff of the South Slave schools about these strategies or if they have any ideas. We're always trying constantly to get input from the teachers, the principals and the people in the schools.

N/N: What are some examples of what the literacy project has actually done?

MS: In partnerships, we have developed a partnership with the NWT Cree Language Group. We've helped in developing some books for children, and the books can also be used for adults. It is a series of books that are going to promote the Cree language. We also have developed a partnership with Health and Social Services where they distribute our Baby Bags. Basically, the Baby Bags are for new moms, so when a baby is born we provide a bag that has a baby book and pamphlets on how to promote literacy from birth. Just all kinds of neat activities that give parents information right away. We also have the kindergarten Bag. This is given out when children come to kindergarten screening ... There are items inside like pamphlets, colouring books, crayons, paper, a book and things like that, so that they can be prepared before they come to school.

N/N: What is an example of the literacy project's initiatives in the schools?

MS: In literacy programming, we've developed some resources for teachers created by teachers. We developed what's called an English language arts benchmark document. This basically has the standards for what students need to achieve at kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. It's helpful for teachers in long-range and daily planning, and is used in conversations with parents.

N/N: How important has the mascot -- Rufus the Reading Rascal -- been to the project?

MS: Rufus was developed with a contest for all South Slave schools. Actually, one of our committee members came up with the name Rufus the Reading Rascal. Kim Ivanko, our committee member from P.A. School in Hay River, came up with that name. Then the committee decided to have a contest and all students in the South Slave could send in what they thought Rufus looked like. Larissa Korol from JBT School in Fort Smith was the winner. Actually, everything that has Rufus on it has her name on it also because she's the illustrator of Rufus. He's been a big hit. Students, staff, parents and community members in the South Slave and even outside the South Slave now know who Rufus is and what he stands for -- reading and literacy. He has a reading club and has incentives for students who read 25, 50, 75 and 100 books, and it's really caught on. He has a life of his own. The kids seem to really enjoy reading. Our teachers do a wonderful job already, but it's something to enhance what's already happening.

N/N: How important is literacy?

MS: I'm a teacher, and for five years I was a Grade 1 teacher. All through my entire life, reading has been extremely important. So the love of books and making books available, all kinds of literatures, and providing those opportunities for our students in the South Slave are extremely important. To be honest, when this particular position was advertised, my first thought was, what can I do to make a difference? What can I do to enhance literacy so that students, staff and everyone can work together to make sure that the greatest improvement in literacy happens?

N/N: What sort of satisfaction do you get from this project as opposed to being a teacher in the classroom?

MS: The satisfaction I get is I am extremely fortunate to work with the literacy committee, that being the 10 people in the communities. They are outstanding. That is my satisfaction. They're like my classroom. They're so dedicated and willing to go that extra mile to make a difference. They're innovative. And the three times we meet during the year, that is the time that I would have to say is the most personal satisfaction for me. They're on the front lines. They know what's happening and they bring that to me, and we're able to work together to bring about change ... But I am a teacher at heart. I miss the students very much.

N/N: What is your role as co-ordinator?

MS: The committee members are very passionate, and they have ownership of the project. They've developed it.

As a coordinator, I oversee, I help to implement and I help to update the plan. I'm the positive nag, making sure things are done. But it's the committee's plan.

The committee has won the award. They work really hard.

N/N: Is the literacy project making a difference?

MS: We surveyed teachers in K-3 and asked them for their opinions on whether or not it was making a difference. According to our teachers in the South Slave, it is making a difference.