first nations - mfnerc · ing conference. this year’s theme is reclaiming our future: nurturing...

FIRST NATIONS EARLY LEARNINGCONFERENCE 2016

Reclaiming our Future: Nurturing Early Learners

March 2-3, 2016Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre

Winnipeg, Manitoba

WelcomeOn behalf of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre,

I would like to welcome you to the second First Nations Early Learn-

ing Conference. This year’s theme is Reclaiming our Future: Nurturing

Early Learners. Our traditions saw the health, safety, and development

of our children as a communal responsibility, and this viewpoint is true

today. We recognize that nurturing our children is the gateway to a

brighter future. This conference will look at ways we can support children to be successful in life

by focusing on the early years in their development, through sharing strategies and best practices.

Respectfully,

Lorne C. Keeper

Conference Schedule8:00 Registration (Carlton Room)

9:30

Opening Prayer (Wellington Room)

Welcoming Remarks: Lorne C. Keeper, Executive Director, MFNERC

Elders Welcome: Mary Courchene and Don Robertson

10:30 Break

10:45 Keynote: Dr. Jean Clinton

12:00Lunch (Wellington Room)

Entertainment: Matthew Klyne

1:00 Workshop Session 1 (Embassy Rooms A-E)

2:15 Break


8:00 Registration


10:15 Break


11:45 Lunch (Wellington Room)


2:00 Break


3:30 Closing Remarks and Prayer (Wellington Room)

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Keynote SpeakerDr. Jean Clinton

Dr. Jean Clinton has been a consultant to children and youth mental

health programs, child welfare, and primary care for almost 30 years.

She is a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural

Neurosciences at McMaster, division of Child Psychiatry. She is also on

staff at McMaster Children’s Hospital with cross appointments in Pediat-

rics and Family Medicine, and an Associate in the Department of Child

Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Sick Children’s Hospital. Dr. Clinton

was recently appointed as an education advisor to the Premier of Ontario

and the Minister of Education.

She was a founding board member and a Fellow of Dr. Fraser Mustard’s Council for Early Child

Development. Dr. Clinton is a ZERO TO THREE International Fellow as well as a Fellow for the Child

Trauma Academy.

Her work for children has been recognized locally in Hamilton where she was nominated for Citizen

of the Year in 2005, and in 2010 Dr. Clinton received the Woman of Distinction award. She was also

honoured nationally, receiving the Naomi Rae Grant Award from the Canadian Academy of Child

and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Clinton is renowned locally, provincially, nationally, and more recently internationally as an

advocate for children’s issues. Her special interest lies in brain development, and the crucial role

relationships and connectedness play therein. She champions the development of a national, compre-

hensive child well-being strategy including a system of early learning and care for all young children

and their families. Her greatest accomplishment remains being the mother of 5 wonderful kids who

range in age from 20 to 30 years.

Lunch EntertainmentMatthew Klyne

Singer, musician and performer, Matty Klyne lives and works in Win-

nipeg, and seeks to inspire audiences with his story. At a young age,

Matty was misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. School was a

place where he suffered many hardships. Teachers wrote him off as being

a “lazy student” who didn’t want to do his assigned work, and unat-

tainable expectations were placed on him. He felt depressed and even

considered suicide. Through all this struggle however, and with the love

and support of his family, Matty not only graduated from high school,

but an interest in music was born. Matty has since performed at many

live events, and was featured in Winnipeg’s Got Talent. Matty’s music, singing and message is always

received warmly and touches the hearts of all who hear him. Please feel free to speak to Matty after

his presentation. He will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Workshop DescriptionsAutism 101 and Strategies for SuccessPresenters: Erika Wainwright, Kelsey Purves

Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm Embassy A

Wednesday 2:30pm–3:45pm Embassy A

This session will offer an introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder, its characteristics, and how they

impact daily life. We will discuss strategies to support people with ASD in a variety of environments

including home, school and the community. The session will also examine the role of self-regulation in

Autism Spectrum Disorders and help to reframe participants’ perspectives on dysregulated behaviour.

Family LiteracyPresenter: Holly Fontaine, IRC/Library Facilitator, MFNERC

Thursday 9:00am–10:15am Embassy A

Literacy surrounds us. It is speaking, listening, numbers, images, language, words, patterns and more.

Literacy includes our ability to use all of these to help us communicate, interpret and participate in the

communities where we live. The goal of this workshop is to illustrate, using hands-on activities, how

important play and creativity are in nurturing early learners. Our first teachers are parents, siblings and

core family. We will use inter-generational activities to highlight forms of literacy in play. The activities

are designed to be fun and engaging, and facilitate parental involvement within First Nations schools.

Get Out, Play and Teach!Presenter: Barret Miller, FortWhyte Alive

Thursday 10:30am–11:45am Embassy A

Thursday 12:45pm–2:00pm Embassy A

This full-day workshop will equip participants to plan and deliver hands-on, practical outdoor activ-

ities. We will discuss and practice using adventure as an educational tool, and how to use your

outdoor space most effectively. The workshop will include several views on teaching and playing out-

doors, including elements of Forest School Canada’s approach, and FortWhyte Alive’s 40 years of

high-quality outdoor experiences.

Participants will gain an understanding of how playing and learning outdoors fosters whole-child

development; gain skills at assessing, managing, and working with the risks of taking children out-

doors; be given tools to assess and use your own local outdoor spaces most effectively; and leave the

workshop with practical, ready-to-use ideas, and with the confidence and skills to get the children you

work with outside, more often.

Homemade Books Made Easy for Lifelong Love of ReadingPresenter: Arlene Flatfoot, MFNERC

Thursday 2:15pm–3:30pm Embassy A

We need to support our children to discover a lifelong love of reading. In this workshop, numerous

opportunities to acquire language skills, improve reading ability and instill a lifelong love of reading

will be discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to make homemade books using a variety of

recycling materials and then take that knowledge back to their homes and communities. When chil-

dren see books they have created themselves, to be used in almost every part of the school day, they

will feel like an active participant in the reading process.

How to Work in a Reggio Inspired WayPresenter: Sue Narozniak, Red River College

Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm Embassy B

Wednesday 2:30pm–3:45pm Embassy B

This workshop is for those interested in or inspired by ideas from the Reggio Approach, a system of

early education that explores ideas of partners in learning, image of child and image of teacher within

a context of respect and rights of children.

We will begin to think about how the environment, educator and children work together to co-create

inviting curriculum that is needs and interest-based. Participants will be able to reflect on how these

ideas relate to your own practice. We will also identify key concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach

to education, discuss ideas of partnerships in learning and, reflect on how the key concepts relate to

practice. This session is suitable for those who are new as well as those currently practicing Reggio

inspired curriculum.

Teatree Tells – A Child Sexual Abuse Prevention KitPresenter: Jennifer Freeman, Canadian Centre for Child Protection

Thursday 9:00am–10:15am Embassy B

Thursday 10:30am–11:45am Embassy B

Teaching safety skills in preschool and early years establishes a foundation for later learning. Research

shows that offenders are less likely to target children who present a risk of telling. In this workshop,

we will talk about the scope of the problem of child sexual abuse and the early years prevention and

intervention program, Teatree Tells. Participants will learn how to establish open communication with

children, increasing the likelihood of disclosure; establish an understanding of boundaries so children

know what to disclose; introduce the issue of secrecy around touching and picture taking; and disrupt

the process of abuse before it becomes a contact offence.

Promoting Healthy Child Development and Healthy Relationships Through Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP)Presenter: Jean Tinling, Mosaic-Newcomer Family Resource Network

Thursday 12:45pm–3:30pm (Half-day Session) Embassy B

This workshop will be an overview of the PDEP program developed by Dr. Joan Durrant, University

of Manitoba in collaboration with Save the Children. The PDEP program was designed to be for all

parents and cultures. It aims to reduce physical punishment by educating parents and caregivers about

child development. Its objective is to help parents become problem-solvers and mentors to their chil-

dren. A version of the program for teachers is in development and follows the same model of teaching

and mentoring children in an environment that promotes respect for children’s developmental level and

individuality.

Planning for Continued Student SuccessPresenter: Cheryl Plaisier, Literacy Facilitator, MFNERC

Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm Embassy C

Having a complete picture of all the literacy skills your children already possess will help you as kin-

dergarten teachers and education assistants, to ensure that the literacy experiences you are planning

are focused on ensuring continued success and growth of each child. Participants in this workshop will

be provided with an overview of the Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement, the tasks in

the survey, and the use of the information collected in the planning of literacy experiences.

Three Pillars of Roots and Seeds of Empathy Presenter: Kathleen Captain Wednesday 2:30pm–3:45pm Embassy C

While exploring the Roots and Seeds of Empathy programs, participants in this workshop will learn to

understand the reasons why using Authentic Communication with preschoolers and nursery/kinder-

garten students leads to exploration of their environment and themselves. The session will also reinforce

the importance of celebrating, not what the children know, but how they feel, so that their early years’

environment provides a safety net of trust and fosters meaningful communication. Participants will

come to understand how and why acknowledging, validating and honouring a child’s questions and

answers leads to a child respecting and trusting his or her own intuitive feelings.

Alphabag ProgramPresenter: Richelle Lovegrove, Reading Clinician, MFNERC

Thursday 9:00am–10:15am Embassy C

Alphabet knowledge is a high predictor of reading success. This workshop will demonstrate how to link

the assessment of alphabet knowledge with instruction. Participants will gain knowledge in an inter-

vention program named Alphabag, which is a one-on-one multi-sensory approach to help students

increase their alphabet knowledge.

Traditional Child Rearing; Birth to PubertyPresenter: Roxanne Shuttleworth

Thursday 10:30am–11:45am Embassy C

Thursday 12:45pm–2:00pm Embassy C

This workshop will offer an overview of traditional child rearing including the roles of parents, grand-

parents, extended family and community. It will include the use and purpose of moss bags and cradle

boards. We will also look at the the expectations and role of the child in the home and in the commu-

nity, and preparation for their transition to puberty and adulthood.

ABC&D’s of Managing Children’s Behaviour Through Responsive Early Learning EnvironmentsPresenters: Mindy Sinclair, Jessica Chisholm; Early Learning Literacy Facilitators, MFNERC

Thursday 2:15pm–3:30pm Embassy C

In early learning environments, including classrooms, we need to be able to help children learn. But

what if their behaviour is preventing you (and them) from doing this? In our everyday teaching experi-

ences, whether as an educational assistant or an experienced teacher, managing children, specifically

very young children’s behaviour, can be an on-going challenge. Why is the classroom down the hall

working like a well-oiled machine and another room right next door seems to be chaotic and out of

control? This workshop is designed with child development in mind. It will explore how children learn

best and how a responsive environment created for children helps them do this. Come to the workshop

and gather information for your own school or early learning centre. There will also be an opportunity

to learn from others in round table style discussion.

A Guide for Play Based Learning in ManitobaPresenter: Gerrie Stolzand, Monica Lytwyn

Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm Embassy D

What is play? Play is the natural way that children learn about their surroundings. Play is engaging,

enjoyable and memorable. It is not a forced activity but, rather, spontaneous. Children choose how

and when to participate in play. When children play, they explore new skills and abilities. When they

play with other children, social groups are formed, they test out ideas with each other, and they build

new understandings. A Guide for Play-Based Early Learning in Manitoba, released in 2015, provides

a vision and a guide for various early years programs to ensure children in Manitoba from birth to age

six have the best possible start in life. In this workshop the guide will be reviewed with participants so

that they may implement the philosophy of play-based early learning in their programs.

Supporting and Strengthening Role of Educational AssistantsPresenter: Paula Parisien, Sylvia Sinclair

Wednesday 2:30pm–3:45pm Embassy D

In this workshop, educational assistants will learn to articulate their roles and responsibilities in the

school and classroom. Educational assistants play many different roles during the day. Nurturing

educational assistants’ potential and helping them learn how to take care of themselves, in order to

prevent burnout, will also be demonstrated through interactive exercises. Team building is also import-

ant and having participants connect and network with each other will also be encouraged during the

workshop.

Developing Early Number SensePresenter: Virginia Birch, Ardel Smith, Georgina Moody, MFNERC

Thursday 9:00am–10:15am Embassy D

Children need to have a sense of what numbers mean, have the ability to perform mental math,

understand symbolic representations, and effectively use numbers in real life situations. Research has

found that children who have a well-developed number sense are able to succeed in early math and

beyond. Attend this workshop and learn some great hands-on activities that help children develop

early number sense. Key activities will include the following “big ideas” in counting: sequencing,

relating numerals to quantity, representing, counting, and comparing. You will also make-and-take

activities for your classroom!

Play is the Universal LanaguagePresenter: Debra Mayer, Manitoba Education Advanced Learning, ECU

Thursday 10:30am–11:45am Embassy D

At the heart of a child’s healthy learning and development is honour for the child’s family, culture and

community. Nurturing relationships and a circle of support help the child to start strong and be pre-

pared for lifelong growth, learning and success.

This workshop will look at how to set goals that are both challenging and achievable, create

child-centred learning environments, holistically integrate all areas of curriculum across developmental

domains, and align practices from preschool into the early years of school. Participants will reflect on

their own comfort level with child directed learning, take away many great ideas shared by Manitoba

educators, and consider how to infuse a culturally competent playful pedagogical approach into your

own work with young children and their families.

Hearing, Language and Speech and How Early Learning and Literacy are Affected Presenter: Mary Lou Pierrard, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Facilitator, MFNERC

Thursday 12:45pm–2:00pm Embassy D

Thursday 2:15pm–3:30pm Embassy D

Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don’t begin thinking

about education in the early years, our children are at risk of falling behind by the time they start kin-

dergarten. Vocabulary and concept knowledge provide the base for continued language growth and

the development of reading and writing skills. In this workshop, strategies to support early learning in

the classroom, and at home, will be shared.

First Nations AstronomyPresenter: Wilfred Buck, Science Facilitator, MFNERC

Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm Embassy E

Wednesday 2:30pm–3:45pm Embassy E

Using the MFNERC Portable Inflatable Planetarium, this interactive session will introduce participants

to cultural knowledge regarding astronomy that is different from the mainstream view. Constellations,

planets, stars, moon, sun, mythologies and legends will all be presented from a First Nations per-

spective. The workshop will include a 30-minute presentation followed by 40 minutes in the portable

planetarium.

Land Based Education in a Forest School SettingPresenter: Mavis Lewis-Webber, Brigitte Insulle, Red River College

Thursday 9:00am–10:15am Embassy E

Thursday 10:30am–11:45am Embassy E

Who will be the next generation of botanists, naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts if we do not nurture a

sense of respect, awe and wonder in young children? Forest School is an educational approach and

program of delivery that has existed since the 1950s in European countries such as Denmark, Sweden,

and England. In a Forest School, children spend time outdoors in natural settings learning through an

experiential and play based focus. Forest School within an aboriginal community is a natural fit, as

educators model mutual respect with the land and what Mother Earth shares with us.

This workshop will raise awareness of the value of land based education, and participants will develop

an awareness of the ethos and principles of Forest School, reflect on the value of connecting with

nature and share ideas on how you can get children in your care active outdoors.

Stop. What’s That Sound?Presenter: Brian Harrison, Red River College

Thursday 12:45pm–2:00pm Embassy E

Do you know what the sound environment of your early years program tells you?

This workshop will focus on one of the least considered, but highly effective clues to the quality of your

program – sound. We will consider how and when to use your ears to evaluate your play and learn-

ing environment, as well as your own practice. We will also explore ideas to create a less stressful and

more nurturing early learning climate.

Inquiry SciencePresenters: Rosely Booth, Alberto Mansilla; Science Facilitators, MFNERC

Thursday 2:15pm–3:30pm Embassy E

Inquiry science must be a basic in the daily curriculum of every elementary school student at every

grade level. For students to learn how to “do” science, they need to understand the roles of observa-

tion, imagination, and reasoning.

An elementary science program must provide opportunities for students to develop understandings

and skills necessary to function productively as problem-solvers in an increasingly scientific and tech-

nological world. Join us for a workshop that will explore these ideas and introduce participants to the

ins and outs of inquiry science instruction.

Embassy A

Embassy B

Embassy C

Embassy D

Chicago Joeʼs Restaurant

Front Desk

Carlton Room

Wellington Room

To Centennial Rooms

Front Entrance

West Entrance

Embassy E

Map

first nations - mfnerc · ing conference. this year’s theme is reclaiming our future: nurturing...

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