As we moved into the second week of our time in Kyuquot we realized that a shift in plans would  need to be made due to the labour dispute within our B.C. schools.  As we talked with members of the community we became aware that the Kindergarten in the community was band run and there would be an openness to us volunteering our time there.  We began working with the Kindergarten on the Monday of this week.

Houpsitas Kindergarten and Pre-school in Kyuquot

Our introduction to the school was fun indeed!  The kids were welcoming and interested to see newcomers.  As well, the staff were open and friendly.  We began helping out in different ways: Helping with centres, dancing with the kids to music and working with them one-on-one.  They are full of enthusiasm and excited to learn!  The days usually have a structure of some free time upon coming to the school, carpet time where attendance and the days shape are previewed and then on into centres and snack time.

Carpet time at Houpsitas.

We would make our daily tromp down the hill from our teacherage into Kyuquot proper where the Kindergarten was located.  This was interesting as we would often walk by the teachers picketing at the elementary school on our way.  We would wave, wish them our best and then continue on down the road.  If time permitted, we would often stop in for a visit and be offered snacks and goodies for the road.

Another look at Houpsitas

Having not been involved in a lot of Kindergarten classes to date, it is hard to compare the style of this school to another.  I feel that in many ways it must be fairly standard as it felt  structured and progressive.  The kids seem to enjoy the days and to be well integrated into the school life and community.  Attendance has been a little low, however, due to the strike.  Many of the families older children are already finished school for the year. This mindset has continued into the Kindergarten with some families feeling school is done so not bringing their younger children in.

Culture woven into education at Houpsitas.

One of the defining events this week was the graduation of five of the students.  A large gathering was held where friends, relatives and family came to celebrate the passing through of some of the kindergarten students.  The kids had hats woven traditionally for them in honour of the graduation and were honoured for the different things that they had accomplished for the year.  Balloons and decorations surrounded the room and food was to be had for all!  The kids previewed their work from the year to all that were interested.

Traditionally woven graduation caps.

The graduating ‘podium’.

Decorations in the facility.

In all, our time at Houpsitas has been very fortunate.   We are glad to still be in the community and working on our practicum despite the labour dispute and to be involved with a facility that seems to be working so well.  The kids are a shining example of a job being well done here and it has been a pleasure to be a part of it.  Some of the things I will take from this experience include a better understanding of how to run a good kindergarten class.  Keeping all the kids involved, through stations, dance time and space to be imaginative and creative on their own are things that I hope to take from this experience to another classroom.  Also, the strong integration of native culture into the lessons and environment show how the culture of a place can be effectively woven into a child’s education.  Whether it was video’s being played that included native myths or the local art being displayed on gift bags, the use of native culture was prevalent. This is something I want to keep in mind for any future classroom I am running.  I would hope to integrate the local culture with the continuing education of the students in  my charge.

Centres at Houpsitas.

Space to play.

Keep posted for next weeks update on Houpsitas and life in Kyuquot!

So we have made it to the final week of our Community Field Experience.  It has been a fantastic experience full of interesting and unusual encounters.  We have spent time in both the Kyuquot elementary/secondary school (KESS) and in the Houpsitas kindergarten.  Both experiences have been informative and fun.  With our time wrapping up at the kindergarten we found we settled into a nice pace of life that included a variety of different activities.  As the weather was nice we made sure to get out and visit the community playground most afternoons.

We also began incorporating a lot of free time and play as the year was starting to wrap up and come to an end.  As there was no shortage of games in the kindergarten we got a number of different things going that included making marble towers, indoor slides and working with glitter paintings.

This final week was a farewell to three great weeks in the community and it was hard to say goodbye.  The kids were so much fun every day and  even in the short amount of time they were here had made a very strong impact on our lives.  Each of them was unique and brought their own personality to the classroom.  On our last day we played floor hockey and I made one paper airplane for one of the kids and it quickly snowballed into most of the kids wanting their own plane!  So before you knew it, most the class had different coloured construction paper airplanes.

Coloring at Houpsitas

Glitter time.

Many things were learned during this experience.  The connection between culture and learning was so strong up here.  The First Nations culture was interwoven into the fabric of the learning in many ways.  I’ve come to see this as such an important part of the learning experience.  I definitely applaud the kindergarten facility for their strong connection with their traditions, from the videos they watched, to the hats made for graduation, to the art created.  Teaching lessons learned included the willingness to be flexible, to be open to different approaches, to look for the new way of approaching a situation.  I hope to be able to carry some of these lessons into my next teaching assignment and am grateful for the time I was able to have up here.  Such a welcome counterpoint to the long practicum!