Springvalley Elementary School is lucky to have the support of our fantastic Indigenous Advocate, Ms. Barb Haldane.
A message from Miss Barb:
Hello! My name is Barb Haldane, and I am the new Indigenous Advocate for Springvalley Elementary. I am honored to live, work and play here on the beautiful, vibrant, unceded, currently occupied, traditional territory of the Sylix (Okanagan) peoples. My Indigenous heritage is Nisga’a of the Northwest Coast of BC.
In my role as an Indigenous student advocate; I am here to help Indigenous students achieve success by promoting a positive educational experience for your child. My role is to encourage, assist and support students and families with Indigenous heritage (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) both status and non-status. This may include the following (not all services pertain to every individual family).
· Connecting with home and ensuring regular attendance
· Provide emotional, social and academic support
· Encourage students to participate in cultural learning
· Attend school meetings such as IEP or SBT meetings and or parent/ teacher conferences as requested
· Cultural teachings and occasional field trips
· Work closely with teachers to plan for student success and supports needed
· Problem solving clothing, transportation or any other barriers families may be facing
Please feel free to email me at barb.haldane@sd23.ca with any questions or call the school at 250-870-5119 Ext. My hours are 8:00-3:30 Monday to Friday.
To’oyaksim Niiy (Thank you)
Miss Barb
from the BC Ministry of Education Indigenous Education web site
Please click here to see a full-size version
"The First Peoples Principles of Learning are affirmed within First Peoples communities and are being reflected in the development of all K-12 curriculum and assessment. First identified in relation to English 12 First Peoples, the First Peoples Principles of Learning generally reflect First Peoples pedagogy. The term "First Peoples" includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada, as well as indigenous peoples around the world."
More information: