Dear Mr/Mrs…
I am looking very forward to meeting you and having you in my classroom for the next several weeks. I am confident that this will prove to be a great experience for both of us, and that we will learn a lot from each other. With regard to working in Canada, and in the Canadian school system, I think it is important that you know that Canada is officially a bilingual country. French and English have equal status under the Canadian language act. There are many options for students to learn french in Canada, with the most common being: the french immersion program, where children are taught 100% in french starting in kindergarten, and the second being a core french program where students are taught french for approximately forty minutes a day starting in fourth grade. Language is crucial to the interactions that take place in our daily lives and is something that should be celebrated and practiced within the classroom. Aboriginal content is now being incorporated into the classroom as part of BC’s new curriculum, and I believe that it is a topic that should continue to be emphasized and focused on. It is important for all students to have an understanding of the history of Canada and the role the First Nations played in the founding of this country. It is important for Aboriginal students to feel valued and appreciated and, having several Aboriginal students in my classroom, I experience first hand how important it is for these students to feel a connection. The students take great pride in being able to teach other students about their heritage and culture. I plan on incorporating the content of Aboriginal history in my classroom, cirriculum and, because Canada is so multicultural, I believe that each students’ culture should be acknowledged and celebrated. Canada is a country that accepts all people, and is happy to celebrate diversity. Again, I look forward to meeting you and seeing what the next few weeks will bring. If you have any more questions, you can contact me via email.
Sincerely,
Brittany Segal
brittanysegal@gmail.com