聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 White Bear Education Complex (WBEC) hosted a traditional flag raising ceremony to mark the beginning of the new school year on, Tuesday, Sept. 13. Students, staff, family members, elders, representatives from council, all stood outside, surrounding the three flag poles in front of the school, where the Treaty Four flag, Treaty Four flag, and Canadian flag were raised.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One of the school elders, Josh Kakakeway, said a prayer in Cree after the flags were smudged. Kakakeway also stated that the ceremony is a way to 鈥淩emember those that came before us.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The three flags raised are the White Bear First Nation flag, the Treaty Four flag, and the Canadian flag. The prayer by School Elder Kakakeway was delivered in the Cree language. Educational Assistant, Bucky Strongeagle, stood with the Eagle Staff as the flag raising ceremony was completed. The four feathers on the Eagle Staff represents the connection of First Nations people to the Creator through the eagle, the staff is the connection to Mother Earth, and the colours of the ribbons are the sacred ceremonial colours of red, white, blue, and yellow.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Two songs are performed by traditional drummers during the ritual: the Flag Song and the Victory Song (during which participants dance to enter a new school year in celebration). At the end of the ceremony, every student and staff member shakes hands with the chief and the elders.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Principal Sheri McArthur-Cappo says she鈥檚 looking forward to the school year, 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for all of our cultural programming we will be incorporating. We will also be working to develop self-esteem and self-respect within our students; I want each and every student to be comfortable with who they are.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 White Bear Education Complex also welcomes two new teachers and a new educational assistant. Teachers include Raelynne Bird in high school sciences and Ashley Pennington as the new pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten teacher. Bucky Strongeagle has taken on the educational assistant position for one year as it is a maternity leave.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bird is in her second year of teaching and is excited to be at WBEC: 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see the southern winter festivals, I鈥檝e seen northern ones, so I鈥檓 excited to see how the south do theirs. I鈥檓 really excited to teach here because the kids are great and my classroom is awesome. I鈥檓 also really excited about the cultural aspect here and having it in the class, it鈥檚 really cool.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pennington is in her fifth year of teaching and is excited to be working at WBEC. She is the pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten teacher, which means learning comes through exploring and as a teacher she can make learning moments from many different aspects of the classroom. She too is looking forward to the school year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be here and I鈥檓 excited to try new things in my classroom this year,鈥� Pennington said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Strongeagle, the new education assistant, says he is excited to take on the position and is particularly looking forward to coaching this year: 鈥淚鈥檝e helped with day camps that White Bear has had in the past, so I knew I liked working with youth. And the main thing I鈥檓 looking forward to is coaching the boys basketball and volleyball this year.鈥�
