I'M INVOLVED! “Building Relationships”...Lise Bastien Director General First Nations Education...

2nd Conferenceon First Nations Parental and

Community Involvement

I'M INVOLVED! “Building Relationships”

November 16 and 17, 2017Manoir Saint-Sauveur

2nd Conference on First Nations Parental and Community Involvement

Creating strong links between parents, community and our schools!

We are increasingly aware of the importance of building and strengthening healthy, positive relationships between the home and school. We know that when schools support parental participation, and when parents actively engage with their children’s schools, we give our students a better chance at success. Better still, when the home and school work together effectively, our students are not only more likely to succeed academically, they will more likely enjoy their overall school experience.

The theme of the second edition of the Conference on First Nations Parental and Community Involvement is “Building Relationships”. This year, we decided to invite school principals. By creating an opportunity for parents, community members and school leadership to get together and learn from each other, we hope to encourage a positive dialogue between home and school that will help foster parental and community involvement in planning for the success of our students.

On behalf of the First Nations Education Council, and myself, I wish you all a great conference!

Lise BastienDirector GeneralFirst Nations Education Council

Word of WelcomeWord of Welcome


REGISTRATION

Before you go to the conference workshops or plenary sessions, please sign in at the FNEC’s information and registration table located in the Everest foyer where you can also pick up a copy of the conference program and your name tag. Please wear your name tag at all times since it confirms that you are registered for the conference and can attend the workshops and plenary sessions.

FNEC staff members will be at the information and registration table:

• Wednesday, November 15, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

• Thursday, November 16, starting at 7:30 a.m.

MEALS

Accommodations at the Manoir Saint-Sauveur include breakfast and lunch on both days of the conference.

Keep in mind that La Tablée restaurant is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

DOOR PRIZE DRAW

A contest ballot for the door prize draw being held at the end of the last day of the conference will be inserted in your name tag holder. If you would like the chance to win, fill out your ballot and drop it in the ballot box located at the FNEC’s booth in the Everest foyer.

SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SERVICES

To meet the needs of participants, simultaneous interpretation services are available for the presentations given in the Everest A ballroom, while workshops held in Edelweiss A are in English, and in Edelweiss B in French. The language in which the workshops are given is indicated in the program. This gives you the opportunity to attend the workshop given in the language of your choice.

If you want to use the simultaneous interpretation services available, please go to the meeting room at least ten minutes before the start of the presentation to pick up your headset and receiver. You will have to leave identification with the technician. It will be given back to you when you return the equipment.

Note: Seeing as you will be held responsible for your headset and receiver, you should keep them with you at all times.

General Information General Information


EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The FNEC has organized this conference on parental and community involvement with your expectations and needs in mind. That’s why we would like you to take a few minutes to fill out the evaluation form. This will help us select workshop topics that meet your needs.

OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE CONFERENCE

The official records of the conference containing the summaries of the presentations and workshops will be sent to all the participants in a final report, in electronic format. Contact information on the presenters and workshop leaders will also be included.

Enjoy the conference!


Map of the HotelMap of the Hotel

FNEC RoomsEverest A - Edelweiss A and B

FNEC

FNEC


ProgramProgram

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017Presenter Room

7:30 a.m. Registration Foyer

8:15 a.m. Opening prayer Alex Sonny Diabo Everest ASimultaneous interpretation

8:30 a.m. Word of welcomeFNEC team

Everest A Simultaneous interpretation

8:40 a.m. Icebreaker activity (everyone) Everest A Simultaneous interpretation

9:15 a.m.

Tools in Your Pocket: Child Behaviour and Communication – Building Positive Connections (everyone)

Sharyn Timerman The Early Years


10:15 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m.

Parental Involvement in the IEP Process(parents)

Gino LesageFNEC


Principal’s roundtable (principals)

Valérie FortinFNEC

Edelweiss Ain English

Principal’s roundtable (principals)

Bruno RockFNEC

Edelweiss B in French

11:30 a.m.Parents Committees and Participation Policy Development (everyone)

Eve Lapointe and Pierre Lainé

FNEC


12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:15 p.m. Working with Exceptional Children (everyone)

Earlyn SharpeKahnawake


2:15 p.m.

Survey of parents (parents)Eve Lapointe and

Pierre LainéFNEC


Bullying: Impact and Intervention (principals)

Maryse Orban Institut Pacifique

Edelweiss A in English

Bullying: Impact and Intervention (principals)

Anne Gauvreau Institut Pacifique


3:15 p.m. Break

3:30 p.m. Testimonial (everyone)Charlotte Gauthier

and her parents Odanak


4:30 p.m. End of day 1


ProgramProgram

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2017Presenter Room

8:15 a.m. Word of welcome Mira Levasseur-Moreau FNEC


8:25 a.m.The Educational Integration of the Interactive Whiteboard and SMART Quiz (everyone)

Martin Bertrand FNEC


9:25 a.m.CANO, Technology, and School-Family-Community Collaboration (everyone)

Dorothée Picard and Martin Bertrand

FNEC


10:00 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m.Presentation of the Toolbox (principals)

Mira Levasseur-Moreau FNEC


11:15 a.m.

The Importance of Literacy (parents)

Krystyna Slawecki Frontier College

Edelweiss A in English

Why Do My Children Try My Patience? (parents)

Marie-Hélène Chalifour Psychoeducator


Encouraging Communication between School, Home and Community (everyone)

Serge Larivée Université de Montréal

Everest A In French with simultaneous

interpretation

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Testimonial (everyone)Terry Randy Awashish

OpitciwanEverest A

Simultaneous interpretation

1:30 p.m. Talking circle (everyone) Pierre Lainé FNEC


2:30 p.m. Door prize draw FNEC Everest A Simultaneous interpretation

2:45 p.m. Closing prayer – End of the conference


Sharyn Timerman, founded The Early Years Family Development Centre Inc. in 1996. She has been working in child development for 31 years, specializing in child behaviour from birth to the early teen years. She works privately with families throughout Canada, the United States and parts of Europe, and is a faculty member of the Family Sleep Institute where she teaches behaviour milestones and the effects of sleep. She leads monthly women’s groups and created the “Tools in Your Pocket” series for parenting workshops.

Sharyn works directly with children in the classroom who require special attention for short periods of time, and provides detailed action plans for both educators and parents that are unique to each child’s needs.Sharyn is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants.

According to Sharyn: “Knowledge can only go so far, it must carry with it sincere caring, the energy to embrace each situation and the belief that there is no problem so great we cannot find the answer.”

We will navigate through behaviour issues while bringing life to every child’s learning in a positive way, one that impacts their own healthy sense of self and ensures success within the family, school and community. We want to help all children acquire habits, values and goals in order to grow into happy and well-adjusted adults. Here are a few things you can look forward to hearing:

• How do we communicate to children that they are important and valued members of the family and community?

• Discipline: Teaching children through logical consequences and the difference between good and bad decisions.

• Transition from school to home: How are we greeting children at the end of the day?

• Teaching children to do good in the world simply because good is good to do.

• Tips and tools to get your children to talk, to voice their needs, to share the good parts and not so good parts of each day.

Tools in your Pocket: Child Behaviour and Communication – Building Positive Connections

Sharyn TimermanSharyn Timerman

Lecturers and PresentationsLecturers and Presentations


Gino Lesage has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counselling psychology from Laval University. He worked at the Native Friendship Centre in Quebec City with people of all ages, and in particular former students of Indian residential schools. He also coordinated parenting skills programs and educational activities for Aboriginal youth living in urban centres.

He was a psychology instructor at Laval University and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Since August 2012, Gino has been working as a special education counsellor for band schools in FNEC-member communities.

Parental Involvement in the IEP Process

The purpose of this presentation is to define and especially demystify the IEP. The rights and responsibilities of parents in the implementation of special education services for their children will also be identified. The role of those involved at the school level with IEPs in terms of who does what will also be clarified. Parents of a special needs child will be given ways to support their child’s progress and achievement. Participants will also be given the opportunity to take part in a discussion period.

Gino LesageGino Lesage


Originally from the Innu community of Pessamit, Bruno Rock has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Laval University and a graduate degree in school administration from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. From 2006 to 2012, he taught history and geography at Uashkaikan Secondary School in Pessamit before joining the FNEC team in 2012 as a partnerships counsellor. Since August 2016, he has been fulfilling the duties of student success counsellor which has given Bruno the opportunity to build relationships with First Nations schools and to work on files led by the FNEC’s educational services department. As a father of two boys, Bruno is aware of the difference parental involvement and the development of close ties with the school can make in a child’s education.

Bruno RockBruno Rock

Originally from Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean, Valérie Fortin has a bachelor’s degree in special education from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. From 2007 to 2015, Valérie worked with special needs kids at the primary, secondary and college level. She has also worked on raising awareness among principals and teachers that concrete measures are required to effectively meet the needs of students. Alongside this, she has given a training course on attachment to single mothers enrolled in an adult education centre. Valérie has been a special education counsellor at the FNEC since 2016, and has participated in the development of the parental and community involvement Toolbox for principals.

Valérie FortinValérie Fortin

Principal’s roundtable

School principals will be asked to discuss strategies for new teacher onboarding to help them settle into their professional environment. Welcoming parents in school and ways to establish and maintain relationships with them will also be discussed.


Eve Lapointe is a member of the Innu First Nation of Pessamit. She has a multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree in economics, communications and indigenous studies from Laval University. Eve has been a part of the FNEC team for over 15 years and has held various positions within the organization. She contributed to the creation of Kiuna Institution, the development of postsecondary training programs (such as the certificate programs in First Nations leadership and public administration), and the implementation of videoconferencing systems for First Nations. Eve is currently working for the FNEC as a parental and community involvement counsellor.

Eve LapointeEve Lapointe

Pierre Lainé is a member of the Huron-Wendat nation. He was a master’s student in social practices at the Université du Québec à Rimouski. He worked for over twenty years as a liaison officer for Native Para-Judicial Services in federal penitentiaries before starting a new career in 2011 as a student affairs and recruitment coordinator at Kiuna Institution. Since fall 2016, Pierre has been a parental and community involvement counsellor at the FNEC.

Pierre LainéPierre Lainé


The purpose of both components of this presentation is to raise awareness among participants to the importance of setting up a parents committee and creating an official parental involvement policy to ensure there will be sustainable parental participation in schools for years to come. The FNEC is also capitalizing on this presentation to help its member communities get their own parents committee off the ground. The presenters will show that as long as parents have the success of students in the community at heart, they have the skills to be a member of a parents committee.

Parents Committees and Policy Development

Parents will be asked to give their opinion on the various aspects of parental and community involvement such as communicating with the school, and support services offered by the school and the community. This exercise will help guide future actions of the FNEC and school principals. The results of this anonymous survey will be sent to conference participants who submit a request for them.

Survey

Participants in the talking circle will have the opportunity to exchange thoughts with all those who attended the event, specify their intentions and put new knowledge into practice.

Talking circle


Earlyn Sharpe has been an educator since 1998 in a career that has spanned most grade levels and roles in public education. Her experience as an associate director, administrator, teacher, counsellor, transformational coach, and project manager has provided a unique context for her philosophy of education. Earlyn has been a presenter at teachers’ conventions held by the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT), and continues to share her message of making a difference in the lives of our students with fellow educators. By providing educators and parents with the necessary tools and strategies to make this possible on a daily basis, Earlyn helps bridge the gap between school and home.

Working with Exceptional Children Travailler avec les enfants en difficulté

This presentation gives the audience a snapshot of the challenges exceptional children face and the strategies educators have explored and implemented to make ‘’that difference” in teaching and learning.

It answers the questions: Who are exceptional children? How can educators and parents work together to bridge the gap?

The term exceptional children includes children who experience difficulties in learning as well as those whose performance is so superior that modifications in curriculum and instruction are necessary to help them fulfill their potential. Thus, exceptional children is an inclusive term that refers to children with learning and/or behaviour problems, children with physical disabilities or sensory impairments, and children who are intellectually gifted or have a special talent.

Earlyn SharpeEarlyn Sharpe


Maryse Orban has been working for the Institut Pacifique since November 2016, and currently holds the position of conflict resolution instructor-consultant. Maryse provides consultation services and training to schools and child daycare centres as part of the implementation of the Institut Pacifique’s violence prevention programs. She is currently helping 14 schools develop a variety of violence and bullying prevention programs.

Maryse has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in psychoeducation as well as a certificate in early childhood education. She has considerable expertise in the area of psychosocial adjustment. She has several years’ experience with school age children as an educator, rehabilitation officer and teacher’s aide.

Anne Gauvreau has been working for the Institut Pacifique for three years and currently holds the position of conflict resolution instructor-consultant. Anne provides consultation services and training to schools and child daycare centres as part of the implementation of the Institut Pacifique’s violence prevention programs. She has worked on developing initiatives to prevent bullying and promote prosocial behaviours in elementary schools in the Ahuntsic neighbourhood of Montréal, and has assisted 13 schools in Quebec implement a violence and bullying prevention program.

Anne has a bachelor’s degree in education sciences from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She began her professional career as an early childhood educator; a field in which she has over 16 years of experience.

Bullying: Impact and Intervention This presentation will give school principals the opportunity to gain a better understanding of certain notions of bullying which will enable them to recognize the resulting impacts. Participants will be asked to identify the needs of the various people involved in order to gain a better idea of how to deal with bullying at school and at home.

Maryse Orban Anne GauvreauMaryse Orban Anne Gauvreau


Charlotte Gauthier, is a 16-year-old member of the Abenaki nation of Odanak who studies hard and still finds time to be involved in her community.

Charlotte will talk about her experience in school and how she has persevered despite some hurdles along the way. She will explain how her parents are involved in her education and what they do to support her success at school. Charlotte’s parents will also address the audience.

Charlotte Gauthier and her parents Charlotte Gauthierand her parents

For ten years Martin Bertrand taught at the elementary, secondary, and college level in various contexts including an Aboriginal reserve, a language immersion class, and an official language minority community. After taking several university-level training courses, including a bachelor’s degree in education, Martin is in the process of completing a master’s degree in educational technology, and is a member of the research team as part of the First Nations Innovation project. He has been working for the FNEC for four years as an ICT pedagogical counsellor.

The Educational Integration of the Interactive Whiteboard and SMART Quiz

The presentation will start with the possible uses and advantages of the interactive whiteboard. Afterwards, parents and principals will be asked to team up for an interactive quiz on parental and community involvement giving participants the opportunity for discussion while having fun.

Martin BertrandMartin Bertrand


Originally from the community of Pessamit, Dorothée Picard has a bachelor’s degree in history and a certificate in archival studies. Dorothée has been working for the FNEC since 2005, and through her job as a CANO student information system technician and instructor in the educational services department, she has had the opportunity to provide support and training to CANO users across the entire network of FNEC-member communities.

The purpose of this presentation is to familiarize participants with the various components of the CANO Parents Page: report cards, attendance, homework, behaviour incidents, bulletins, messaging, etc. The contribution technology makes in the school-home relationship, the importance of this relationship and the means at our disposal to encourage the best communication possible will also be addressed.

Dorothée Picard

CANO, Technology, and School-Family-Community Collaboration

Dorothée Picard


Mira Levasseur-Moreau is a member of the Innu First Nation of Essipit. She is the FNEC’s governance and school administration director. A member of Quebec’s law association since 2011, Mira has a bachelor’s degree in law as well as a Juris Doctor in common law and transnational law from the University of Sherbrooke. She began her career in private practice in Montréal and then diversified her legal practice in the North Shore region of Quebec while spreading her enthusiasm for social involvement in neighbouring Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. Having always shown a great interest in Aboriginal issues and the challenges they face, Mira reoriented her practice to meet the needs of First Nations in Quebec. Choosing to devote herself entirely to First Nations causes, Mira continues to apply her professional and personal experience to the development of First Nations education.

Launch of the parental and community involvement Toolbox for school principals

As part of its I’M INVOLVED! awareness campaign, the FNEC has developed the Toolbox for school principals in its member communities to promote parental and community involvement in its schools.

The main objective of this campaign is to make parental and community involvement a priority in our communities by placing value on children, the role of parents, volunteering, school and the people who work there, as well as the different ways children learn. The Toolbox has been created as part of fulfilling this objective.

To encourage parents and community members to get involved, schools must show them that their participation is welcome and very important. The Toolbox is full of tips, ideas, and approaches schools can use to encourage parental and community involvement in a variety of ways.

That’s why this year’s theme is “Building Relationships”. Everyone should feel drawn to this theme considering that the conference is way to rally as many people as possible to do what they can to continue “building relationships” among parents, the community and school.

The 2nd Conference on First Nations Parental and Community Involvement is a prime opportunity for the FNEC to launch the Toolbox.

Mira Levasseur-MoreauMira Levasseur-Moreau


Krystyna Slawecki is a regional coordinator for Frontier College, a pan-Canadian literacy organization. For six years, Krystyna has worked with longstanding partners toward reinforcing literacy programming in urban centres and First Nations communities. Her work focusses on training and mentoring, as well as adapting programming to suit the needs and context of the community. She also co-manages the literacy camps program, involving over 100 summertime employees, in the Cree communities of Nunavik, Nunavut and Nunatsiavut. In her free time, Krystyna sits on the executive board of Alternatives, an international solidarity organization. Krystyna holds a bachelor’s degree in international development and a graduate diploma in community economic development.

The Importance of Literacy

This interactive workshop will address the role of literacy and numeracy in the home. Through games and role-playing, participants will see how important it is to include reading and writing in their child’s everyday life. In addition, tips and tricks will be shared on:

• choosing the right reading material for children;

• reading aloud and how to do shared and guided reading with children;

• improving comprehension when reading;• incorporating numeracy, vocabulary and

learning in everyday tasks.

Parents will take away a series of simple interactive activities to test out at home to make reading, writing and counting a central part of family fun.

Krystyna SlaweckiKrystyna Slawecki


Marie-Hélène Chalifour is a psychoeducator and has been a member of the Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec since 2008.

Marie-Hélène has many years’ experience working with young children in CLSCs. Working in that kind of environment has enabled her to further her knowledge of the various stages of child development, and observe the challenges children face and their impact on the parent-child relationship.

Her mission is to listen, inform, guide and support families so that they can see the situation differently.

Pourquoi ça m’arrive de perdre patience avec mes enfants? (Why Do My Children Try My Patience?) in French only

Why are there days when I can react calmly and in an appropriate way to my child’s behaviour, and other days I feel completely overwhelmed and incapable? This presentation will help participants find answers to these questions through an empathetic approach so they can:

• understand why parents sometimes lose their patience with their children;

• understand the effects on the parent-child relationship;

• learn how to stay calm and handle the situation differently.

Marie-Hélène ChalifourMarie-Hélène Chalifour


Serge J. Larivée is the assistant dean of graduate studies and research at the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Education and full professor in the Department of Psychoeducation and Andragogy. He has a PhD in education from the Université du Québec à Montréal with a specialization in early pedagogical intervention at the preschool level. His research mainly addresses the school-home-community relationship and early pedagogical intervention at the preschool level.

Encouraging Communication between School, Home and Community

There is a wide consensus in scientific literature on the importance of cooperation between the school, home and community and the participation of parents in their child’s development and education.

Parental involvement and cooperation is complex and multi-faceted and can be expressed in a variety of ways. Several obstacles can hinder the establishment of harmonious relationships between the various stakeholders concerned or limit the extent of parental involvement.

A reference framework and a planning guide based on research on effective or promising school-home-community collaborative practices will be presented to participants. A brainstorming session on how to encourage discussion and cooperation between school, home and the community will also be held.

Serge J. LarivéeSerge J. Larivée


Terry Randy Awashish is a member of the Atikamekw Nehirowisiw First Nation of Opitciwan. After receiving his college diploma from Kiuna Institution, he went on to complete a certificate program in visual arts at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) where he is currently enrolled in the graphic design program.

Terry Randy is a multidisciplinary artist and an independent graphic designer. His artwork has been featured in several exhibitions in Montréal, including a semi-permanent photography exhibit at Salon Uatik, an event for Aboriginal students enrolled at the University of Montreal.

My Journey and the Keys to My Success

Through his presentation, Terry Randy will share his journey and express how involved his mother and big sister have been in his education, and that because of them, he has been able to attend university. He has succeeded in keeping his chin up by remembering what his father, who died six years ago, said to him. Terry Randy will highlight the importance of surrounding ourselves with significant people to support us along the way and help us adapt to a new place. He will also talk about how much Kiuna Institution and UQAM’s Cercle des Premières Nations have helped him.

Terry Randy AwashishTerry Randy Awashish

NotesNotes

I'M INVOLVED! “Building Relationships”...Lise Bastien Director General First Nations Education...

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