Students explore different opportunities

Times Reporter

 

Strathmore High School, SHS, students were treated to a guest speaker and crafts during the First Nation, Métis, Inuit day at on Nov. 24. One of the goals of the school district is to improve the number of graduates and show the kids that there are a ton of opportunities out there for them. 

“We are getting more and more native students coming to our school and we just want to recognize that they have their unique challenges and needs, and that we want to meet those needs,” said Karen Harris, a staff member at SHS.   

“Basically what we’re looking for is how to connect them with the opportunities that exist beyond high school.” 

The theme for the day was ‘Our past, our future.’ Clifford Crane Bear was invited to the school to speak to the students. 

“He has a wonderful knowledge of Blackfoot history, specifically family histories and the kids were very excited to listen to him about the names of some of their family and the history of their family name,” said Harris. 

Crane Bear also had the students do a dream-catcher like activity. It was called a spider web activity, which is also a significant part of the Blackfoot culture, said Harris. 

Many post-secondaries have aboriginal transition programs, which are for the students who aren’t quite capable of meeting the rigid requirements of some of the institutions. There have been a number of native students at SHS over the years, and many have gone on to become successful in the field they pursued. 

“We wanted our current native students to hear that there is success waiting for them,” said Harris. 

The school also invited three former graduates to speak to the current students about their success. It was a day filled with different events, from hand drumming to post-secondary institutions coming in to speak to the students about what they have to offer.