EDUCATION

Jean Marie Joseph Elementary School is a Band-operated school, supported by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Schools Association. Built in 1994, the school is the center of the community where a range of workshops, meetings, seminars, trainings and community events take place.

At Jean Marie Joseph School, we are committed to providing an education for every child of Yekooche First Nation.

It is the job of all staff members to ensure that the children feel welcome and that their education is our number one priority.   JMJS offers instruction for Kindergarten through Grade Seven using the BC Schools Curriculum as a guideline with Read Well, Reading Mastery, and Saxon Math programs at the core.

Our students are divided into primary and intermediate classes so that individualized instruction is possible.  Our classrooms utilize smart technology and computer stations for small-group learning, and the school also hosts a computer lab with 12 work stations for whole-class activities.  It is our goal to ensure that students in Jean Marie Joseph School are fully prepared for high school so they may graduate with a full Dogwood Diploma in pursuit of their future education goals.

One of our most important school programs is our culture program, which employs a Dakelh language teacher to offer formal language and culture instruction to our children.  The school also has a fabulous library and workout room with weight training and exercise equipment.  Due to the isolation of our village we seek to broaden our students’ experiences with annual field trips and guest speakers.  We are also starting extra-curricular girls and boys clubs to encourage healthy living and active engagement in recreational activities.

In order to promote healthy living and culturally-relevant nutrition, we provide all children with breakfast and lunch every day.  As our adult education program’s Learning Centre and college course are housed within JMJS they also benefit from the lunch program.

For children under the age of five, our Headstart Program acts as a family daycare with room for up to eight children a day, in accordance with our Early Childhood Educational Institution license.  With a 0-4 year-old population of nearly double that, we are exploring creative ways to reach out to parents and children beyond the school walls through ‘homework competitions’, home visits, and a parents club.  For children participating in the program, there are regular visits from our elders and a range of educational and ‘playtime’ activities to support our busy tots.  Thankfully, after playtime outside (weather permitting) and a home-cooked lunch by staff, there is also time for napping.