No Junior K at Children First
GNWT quashes speculation of running program out of non-school facility
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, March 30, 2017
INUVIK
The Inuvik District Education Authority floated a survey about running junior kindergarten out of the Children First Centre, but it doesn't appear that will be happening.
Reese Ward, left, plays with Liam Griffiths and Avery Ward during a science literacy session at the Children First Centre March 23. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photos
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"As junior kindergarten will become a dedicated part of the NWT school system (Grades JK-12) beginning in the 2017-18 school year, all JK classrooms will be in an established school setting," stated Jacqueline McKinnon, communication and public affairs manager with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, in an e-mail.
An estimated 50 to 60 students will be entering junior kindergarten in Inuvik in fall. East Three School has already announced switching to a two-principal system, splitting the secondary and elementary sides, to accommodate the influx.
Patricia Davison, executive director of the Children First Society, said that she had spoken to the Inuvik education authority about running the program out of the Children First Centre.
"We were quite open to that," said Davison. "We certainly have space. We certainly have a building built for four-year-olds."
The centre also has staff skilled at working with young children and has had success in programming with early childhood practitioners and people with education degrees, she said.
"I could see it working here," said Davison.
However, the GNWT appears adamant the program must be run out of a school building, as it will become a part of the NWT school system.
"JK children will benefit from being part of the overall school system by having access to additional educational professionals located within the school, like the school principal, program support teacher(s), student support assistants, elders, culture and language instructor(s), other classroom teachers and any other student supports or services that the school may have," stated McKinnon.
Junior kindergarten will be implemented in both Inuvik and Paulatuk next fall.
Chris Gilmour, superintendent of the Beaufort Delta Education Council, is confident about the rollout.
"We're very excited about that and we're very confident that the plans that will be put in place over the coming months will meet the needs as best we can of the students and communities we serve," he said.
The Inuvik DEA did not reply by press time about the survey's results.
