Open lines of communication
Teacher revved up over start of school year in Chesterfield Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
CHESTERFIELD INLET
Staff members at Victor Sammurtok School (VSS) took to the land for a day of getting to know each other better and planning for the year ahead in Chesterfield Inlet earlier this month.
Victor Sammurtok School (SAS) teachers Ana Leishman, left, and Lisa Carragher enjoy time on the land as part of an introductory trip with fellows SAS staff members in Chesterfield Inlet in August of 2016. - Photo courtesy of Catherine Mourot |
The Nunavut Teacher Induction and Mentorship program is a new initiative run by the Government of Nunavut, which is a form of orientation and welcoming for teachers.
Every school has one to three orientation and operational days (known as 'O' days), and the program's working group would like to see Nunavut schools put an emphasis on welcoming people.
VSS teacher Ana Leishman said you're practising Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) principles by being welcoming, and bringing people together to talk and share ideas and stories.
She said it's nice to hold such an initiative outside the confines of the school.
"Our new principal, Sumangala (Sue) Desaigoudar, asked if we did anything to welcome teachers at the start of the year, and we really hadn't been doing anything official," said Leishman.
"She indicated she would like to do a few things like hold a barbecue, go berry picking, and head out on the land to see some of the sights and old artifacts.
"Glen (Brocklebank) and I have a lot of artifacts around our cabin, so we suggested getting together out there, and people walked around for the afternoon sharing and talking.
"It goes along with IQ and the mentorship program in orienting teachers with the school, community and Inuit culture."
Leishman said the day went perfectly and everyone had a good time.
She said it was a comfortable feeling to roam around out on the land at a leisurely pace in small groups.
"Some people just don't get the time during the day to go and check out all these places around town.
"It was a really cool way of starting the year by talking to people, finding out how their summer went, and hearing what they're thinking about the coming school year.
"It was all about building relationships, yes, but we also talked about maybe trying different things with the kids this year and things of that nature.
"It was a fresh air, fresh ideas kind of thing and it lead to getting some discussion going on new ideas."
Leishman said the activity brings people together and instills a sense of teamwork.
She said having a principal with such a positive outlook also helps get things going for the new year.
"Sue has shown herself to be very open already, and she's shared a lot of information about what we should expect during the year.
"Because she's opened the door to that kind of communication, it's already got people talking about team planning and team building.
"So it's already given us a good start with thinking about things and making plans, and we can further those discussions in school during staff meetings.
"We're not a big school, and having open discussion means we'll have a bit more collaboration between everyone on what's happening from kindergarten to Grade 12."
