1. Courage and Leadership 1 Have the courage to strike out!

2. ts’i’ts’uwatul’ To Help One Another 2

3. BC Six-Year School Completion Rates AboriginalNon-Aboriginal 2008/0949%82% 2009/1051%82% 2010/1154%83% 2011/1257%84% 2012/1360%86% Glass half full or half empty? 3

4. Do you like school? AboriginalNon-Aboriginal Gr 3/458%60% Gr 744%55% Gr 1037%43% Would you still go to school even if you do not like school? 4

5. Insight From half empty to half full or losing that last kilogram! 5

6. There is a direct link between success in school and the school environment in which student learning takes place. Students are more motivated to do well and achieve their full potential in schools that have a positive school culture and one in which they feel safe and supported. Safe Schools Action Team, 2008, Ministry of Education, Ontario 6

7. To support Aboriginal families, service providers need to recognize the past and present roles of power and privilege, and their ongoing influences on client/worker dynamics. The harm that was done during colonization, the residential school system, as well as ongoing discrimination, has affected Aboriginal people’s ability to trust non-Aboriginal people. Healing is taking place in Aboriginal communities, families and individuals, but oppression has had long-term, intergenerational impacts. A Sense of Belonging, Terrelly Fearn 7

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9. You have such a beautiful… 9

10. Gathering 10

11. Movies that shape how we think … 11

12. Very often, the child most in need of attachment is the one least likely to elicit nurturant behavior from adults. Some children may not be “attractive” enough to those in their life to secure the nurturance they need from peers or adults. If teachers are drawn only to the brightest students, those who are undistinguished may become “the forgotten half.” Gratifying life situations cannot be made the bargaining tools of educational or even therapeutic motivation, but must be kept tax-free as minimal parts of the youngster’s diet, irrespective of the problems of deservedness. Dr. Martin Brokenleg 12

13. What does a safe and caring school look and feel like? Belonging is the feeling of safety and support. Belonging exists when the individual becomes involved in something; it is the feeling of security where they feel included, accepted, related. Belonging gives one a sense of well- being, comfort and of being cared about. Reclaiming Youth at Risk, Brendtro, Brokenleg and Van Bockern 13

14. 85% of students with no failed Grade 8 courses graduated within 5 years, compared to only 61% with a single failed Grade 8 course. 14

15. “Females were more likely than males to be enrolled in academic courses and obtained higher average marks than males in almost all secondary school English, Math and Science Courses. Males were at a greater risk for early course failure than females.” 15

16. Students who changed schools more frequently were less likely to complete high school. 16

17. “One startling difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students was the likelihood that Aboriginal students would be living with adult roles.” 17

18. “35% of Aboriginal children lived in a single parent home compared to 17% of non-Aboriginal children.” 18

19. “Engagement by (Aboriginal) family is important as it can build parental confidence about formal education in institutional settings and can also bring children closer to their teachers and help dispel cultural stereotypes.” 19

20. “Because the culture and world experience of many Aboriginal students is unique, there is benefit from courses and curriculum structured to reflect Aboriginal language, culture and learning needs.” 20

21. “Increased Aboriginal teachers, counsellors, liaison workers and role models in schools have had a positive effect and contribute to making students feel more comfortable in the school environment.” 21

22. “Students who are provided with opportunities to explore their identities and culture with the guidance of people they can identify with are more likely to experience success in school.” Staying in School: Engaging Aboriginal Students, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples 2010 22

23. “… early intervention is a key to ensuring academic success... Students who do not succeed early on in secondary school are more likely to drop out of school.” 23

24. “Aboriginal students who are provided with leadership opportunities and empowered to contribute to their school and community have a better chance of completing high school.” 24

25. Very often, the child most in need of attachment is the one least likely to elicit nurturant behavior from adults. Some children may not be “attractive” enough to those in their life to secure the nurturance they need from peers or adults. If teachers are drawn only to the brightest students, those who are undistinguished may become “the forgotten half.” Gratifying life situations cannot be made the bargaining tools of educational or even therapeutic motivation, but must be kept tax-free as minimal parts of the youngster’s diet, irrespective of the problems of deservedness. Dr. Martin Brokenleg 25

26. Who gets to go? 26

27. Set of Lines! 27

28. Reframing Our Response 28

29. Insight - An awareness and understanding of what we do and why we do it. More importantly, insight allows us to be more open to change. 29