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Gunalchéesh hàt yìy.adi and Welcome to our school website.
Our website is under construction in many areas, and we invite you to continue to return to see the ongoing changes. We also do daily to nearly daily updates on the home page.We encourage parents/guardians to mark our Home page to stay up to date with information, notifications, events and photos. Ghùch Tlâ Community School is located in the community of Carcross, which is situated in the Southern Lakes region of Yukon, about a 45-minute drive from Whitehorse. Our school population tends to fluctuate slightly; right now we have 48 students in full time attendance. The majority of our students (92%) are Carcross/Tagish First Nation and come from the community of Carcross and the surrounding area. Our teaching staff consists of seven teachers (including Tlingit Native Language teacher), four educational assistants, one CDC worker, C/TFN ESW and a part time librarian. For such a small school we continually strive to not only have BIG ideas, but to make those ideas happen!! |
2020-2021 School Year
It is almost the beginning of another school year, and a new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Please be patient with us as we figure it all out with our collab team; Staff, C/TFN, School Council and Dept of Education.
Classes are scheduled to resume Tuesday, August 25th for GTC students. Whitehorse students resume Tuesday, August 18th.
Student school supplies lists will be mailed home shortly and I will have the updated lists posted soon on the website. It is essential that each student have their own personal school supplies as they will not be able to share, nor will there be communal supplies (colours, markers, crayons, glue sticks, erasers, etc) in each classroom and each student is required to have their own water bottle.
At this time I don't have any set answers for parents other than we will be resuming classes for the new school year. What and how all that is going to unfold is not firmly in place and know that things could change very quickly for all of us. The health and safety of our school family bubble and outer bubbles is very important to us; both physical and mental health.
We do not want any student or parent to feel threatened by the health guidelines or restrictions we need to implement at GTC; it is our promise that we will advocate through our collaborative planning to ensure that no one ever feels like we are going back in time.
If you are looking to register you child at GTC, please call ahead 1-867-821-2929 to the office and Venise will get a registration package ready for you and make an appointment to fill out the paperwork. To register a child you need to show the child's birth certificate. Access to the school is still under COVID health and safety guidelines, so please make an appointment to register.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Ms. Cynthia Wagner
It is almost the beginning of another school year, and a new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Please be patient with us as we figure it all out with our collab team; Staff, C/TFN, School Council and Dept of Education.
Classes are scheduled to resume Tuesday, August 25th for GTC students. Whitehorse students resume Tuesday, August 18th.
Student school supplies lists will be mailed home shortly and I will have the updated lists posted soon on the website. It is essential that each student have their own personal school supplies as they will not be able to share, nor will there be communal supplies (colours, markers, crayons, glue sticks, erasers, etc) in each classroom and each student is required to have their own water bottle.
At this time I don't have any set answers for parents other than we will be resuming classes for the new school year. What and how all that is going to unfold is not firmly in place and know that things could change very quickly for all of us. The health and safety of our school family bubble and outer bubbles is very important to us; both physical and mental health.
We do not want any student or parent to feel threatened by the health guidelines or restrictions we need to implement at GTC; it is our promise that we will advocate through our collaborative planning to ensure that no one ever feels like we are going back in time.
If you are looking to register you child at GTC, please call ahead 1-867-821-2929 to the office and Venise will get a registration package ready for you and make an appointment to fill out the paperwork. To register a child you need to show the child's birth certificate. Access to the school is still under COVID health and safety guidelines, so please make an appointment to register.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Ms. Cynthia Wagner
| edu-planning-for-2020-21-school-year.pdf |
KIDS HELP PHONE
Whenever you need to talk, we're open
Text: 686868
Web: KidsHelpPhone.ca
Call: 1-800-668-6868
Whenever you need to talk, we're open
Text: 686868
Web: KidsHelpPhone.ca
Call: 1-800-668-6868
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Come check us out on TWITTER for up to date information
GTC2020@GTC20201 Yes, we are now tweeting. We ask that tweets be kind and family friendly. |
We are also now on FaceBook. It is an invite only place for GTC students and families to get up to date information.
GTC2020. Please let us know if you have not been able to join yet. You can message me or Robin.
GTC2020. Please let us know if you have not been able to join yet. You can message me or Robin.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
We would like to welcome Chase Blodgett as the new Alt Program teacher for GTC.
To register your youth for the GTC Alternative Program, please come and register at the school with the office. Paperwork is required to be filled out if the student has not been attending school either in Yukon or other areas. If the student is being moved from a school within Yukon, they will transfer to us or be cross registered.
Applications for the dorm in the fall are still required during this COVID-19 crisis.
Registration is the responsibility of the parent, guardian or legal caregiver; not the C/TFN Education Department.
We would like to welcome Chase Blodgett as the new Alt Program teacher for GTC.
To register your youth for the GTC Alternative Program, please come and register at the school with the office. Paperwork is required to be filled out if the student has not been attending school either in Yukon or other areas. If the student is being moved from a school within Yukon, they will transfer to us or be cross registered.
Applications for the dorm in the fall are still required during this COVID-19 crisis.
Registration is the responsibility of the parent, guardian or legal caregiver; not the C/TFN Education Department.
Selflessness...let's think on this and what it means to us and our school family.
Where are you at as an active member of reconciliation? This is an important question as part of the Spiral of Inquiry and the School Growth Plan as we delve into the past all the way back to when the Residential school closed and the students were moved to the community school.
TLINGIT LANGUAGE PRACTICE
Let's start our conversations with each other in Tlingit. Let's greet each other in Tlingit.
I have presented a challenge to the staff and students to "give it a go" and greet all in both Tlingit and English so we can cement the language in our brains and make it just like breathing. I encourage parents and guardians to take on this challenge, and start our conversations using Tlingit. I ask for speakers to be patient as we learn, and I accept feedback on pronunciation, this is constructive and will help me teach my mouth and tongue to do correct sounds. Gunalchéesh ax eey_ ilatóowu, thank you for teaching me.
Yeke'e tsoo taught! Good Morning! or Yeke'e yagi! Good Afternoon!
Ye'keéyi ts'ootaat i jee yéi natí. Have a good morning.
Yek'éiyi yagee i jee yéi natí. Have a good day.
Wáa sá iyatee? How are you?
Xat yek' ée. I am fine. (sorry I cannot get a line under the X; I am working on the text)
We.é dée? And you?
Xát tsú xat yek'ée. Me too, I'm fine.
A big Gunalchéesh to Marlene, Sean and Gary for helping me get the proper spelling and dialect for words; it is a joint effort between the school and C/TFN Language department. Please be patient and remember this is a work in progress with positive results...that we have begun the conversation.
Let's start our conversations with each other in Tlingit. Let's greet each other in Tlingit.
I have presented a challenge to the staff and students to "give it a go" and greet all in both Tlingit and English so we can cement the language in our brains and make it just like breathing. I encourage parents and guardians to take on this challenge, and start our conversations using Tlingit. I ask for speakers to be patient as we learn, and I accept feedback on pronunciation, this is constructive and will help me teach my mouth and tongue to do correct sounds. Gunalchéesh ax eey_ ilatóowu, thank you for teaching me.
Yeke'e tsoo taught! Good Morning! or Yeke'e yagi! Good Afternoon!
Ye'keéyi ts'ootaat i jee yéi natí. Have a good morning.
Yek'éiyi yagee i jee yéi natí. Have a good day.
Wáa sá iyatee? How are you?
Xat yek' ée. I am fine. (sorry I cannot get a line under the X; I am working on the text)
We.é dée? And you?
Xát tsú xat yek'ée. Me too, I'm fine.
A big Gunalchéesh to Marlene, Sean and Gary for helping me get the proper spelling and dialect for words; it is a joint effort between the school and C/TFN Language department. Please be patient and remember this is a work in progress with positive results...that we have begun the conversation.
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"When you keep criticizing your kids, they don't stop loving you, they stop loving themselves. Let that sink in". -Spiritual Warriors.
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You're braver than you believe,
and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. |
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Literacy Camp Update
We have received funding from Jordan's Principle to run a full-day Literacy Camp for summer of 2020. This will include swimming lessons and field trips. More information to follow. We hope by the summer the emergency restrictions will be lifted. In the mean time, keep reading and playing with your children. |
PHONE BOOK COLLECTIONS
We won't be collecting phone books this spring due to COVID-19. But we still will receive the $600 for the students |
MARIJUANA/Cannabis:
Although Cannabis is now legalized in Canada and Yukon, it is not legal in our school. Our school is a totally and completely "NO CANNABIS" zone. NO VAPING: Vapes are not to be brought to school. If a vape is spotted it will be taken and returned only to the parent/guardian of the student. FH Collins has a new vaping policy, please take time to check it out on their website. |
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School Council:
Meetngs will be suspended due to COVID-19. Meetings are scheduled for the first Wednesday of the Month. Next meeting is Wednesday, April 1, 2020. 6 pm in the school's library. Spring School Council elections are this year. SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
School Council Elections are scheduled for this spring, they may be postponed until the fall. |
Last year we passed a resolution that if quorum is not reached after 20 minutes, the meeting will end until the next time. Please respect the School Council members, school staff, department guests and community members time and be there for a quick start.
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Integrity...Patience...Accountability...
BUS Please let the school know by 2:30 pm if there is a change to where you child goes after school. The Admin Assistant is not here after 2:30 pm. With all the activities happening after school, we really need to know what your child is doing after the bell rings. To C/TFN Youth Night, Pottery, Daycare, Pick Up or Home. HOT LUNCH THE TRUTH!!!!!!! We have the best free hot lunch program in the territory !!!!! Our hot lunch program is back in action providing lunches for all students daily. If you child does not like what is on the menu for that day, please provide them with a lunch from home. Snacks are to be provided and packed from home. We have oranges, apples and some bananas available. We are so fortunate to have the financial support of C/TFN to help feed our children. We also provide breakfast starting at 8:30 am, thank you to President Choice Children's Charity and Breakfast for Learning. We may make some adjustments to the lunch calendar based on what we can get at the grocery store. We do our best to stick to it, but it can be subject to change. We ask that you either have your child eat what is made or provide a packed lunch from home. Please try not to purchase food/lunch from Montana's and deliver to the school. Students should not be calling home before or at lunch demanding parents/adults buy them lunch. Only the grade 6/7/8/9 students have the privilege on their lunch hour to walk over to Montana's, with signed Parental/Guardian permission. We ask you to support us in this request. Time, effort and money goes into the hot lunch program and we need to show respect to the program and those who provide for our students. We have applied for funding with Jordan's Principle to continue providing lunch for our students, this lunch program is not a guarantee year after year. C/TFN is happy to announce we received a generous funding from Jordan's Principle to feed our students for the year. Our staff currently give of their time to prepare and serve the food to our students, each Wednesday I dedicate as the Principal to making grilled cheese sandwiches with real cheddar cheese; with a flip of love. Cell phones in school/technology or electronic devices
Students are not to be using personal electronic devices during instructional time. The older students in the Grade 7/8/9 class have the right to access their devices during their break times, but must give their device over and put it in the black box in their class after their breaks. Blue-tooth devices that connect to their wearable technology or music speakers must be turned off during instructional time. Grade 4/5/6 and the 1/2/3 students should not bring their personal electronic devices to school, if they do to use it on the bus ride, they need to drop the device off to the office for the day and will get it back at bus time. Field trips are the exception for this group, only if the teacher has made that part of the trip itinerary. This expectation has been in place for several years now, and accountability to follow this expectation is with the students. The students are given ample opportunity to follow this expectation (and wait time to make the right choice) knowing what the consequences of not following the Personal Electronic Device Policy/Rule; that they each signed. If a device (cell phone, ipad, etc) is being used during instructional time which is not part of the instruction, and the student refuses to either put it in the black box/hand over to the office, this will be communicated immediately with home, the phone then can be held all day by the office and only given back to the students parent or guardian. The process of accountability is fully transparent and discussed with the students regularly, there are no surprises. If a parent or guardian needs to communicate with their child, please do so through the teacher contact or the office directly. Please help support the students to make the correct choices and not put them in a conflict position with the Personal Electronic Device Policy. Gunalshéesh. |
Safe School:
Students coming to school under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be asked to leave the school immediately and their parents/guardians will be notified. BEVERAGES AT SCHOOL
The school is promoting healthy beverage choices during school hours and we encourage students to have a water bottle and ask that students do not bring to school;
CELL Phones/Electronic Devices
It seems that almost everyone has a cell phone. This is a fact. And for those who do not have one, others wonder "what is wrong with them?" Nothing is wrong with not owning or using a cell phone. I remember when we had to only use a land line to call people, or walk over and speak face to face. We wrote letters to let friends and family know how we were doing, and we waited patiently to hear back. We participated in more "face to face" time, being with others, having a cup of tea and a conversation, now..it seems different and is different. We go for a cup of coffee with a friend and our faces look to the screen and not the others face. We text and expect immediate responses and lose patience. We swipe left and delete things and people from our lives. I encourage anyone who has a cell phone to look at the amount of screen time they do in a week, and track that information. I encourage those who have a cell phone to turn it off at dinner time, and talk with those around the table or room. I encourage those who have cell phones to take technology breaks during the week. To get away from those screens and turn to the faces around you and make a connection of a human kind. Nothing Can Replace the Influence of Unconditional Love in the Life of a Child. -Fred Rogers-
Go and Love your children exactly as they are. And then, watch them become the truest most wonderful version of themselves. All they need... All anyone really needs... is to feel loved and appreciated for exactly who they are. |
"For you to realize your value and worth, your environment has to mirror it back to you ." -Gabor Mate-
Self Love: Don't Compare Yourself, Note the Things You're Proud of, Let Go of Past Mistakes, Say Yes to Things You Love, Speak Kindly to Yourself, Let Yourself Rest.
The School Attendance Stars are UP
Last year we put yellow stars up the hall for all students with perfect or missed one day on the wall. Each one of those stars was a ballot for a big ticket draw at the end of the school year. The stars from the 2018-2019 are still up there to be viewed, and new blue stars fare on the wall for the 2019-2020 school year. Due to classes being suspended at this time, attendance stars is suspended on March 13. We will see if and when any new stars will be put up as that is dependent on whether we will be face-to-face again in the school.
Upcoming Events
Return to School April 15, 2020?
C/TFN Grad ?
GTC Awards and Certificates ?
Although we don't know yet if these events will happen in person, believe me we are thinking of creative ways to still hold these events.
Return to School April 15, 2020?
C/TFN Grad ?
GTC Awards and Certificates ?
Although we don't know yet if these events will happen in person, believe me we are thinking of creative ways to still hold these events.
Kindness, Perseverance, Honesty
Bullying
The definition of Bullying varies but here are two examples:
Is when an individual or a group of people with more power repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond.
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Repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour intended to cause fear, distress, or harm to another person's body, emotions, self-esteem or reputation.
What Bullying In NOT:
Here at Ghùch Tlâ Community School we have taken on the goal to "Hold Each Other Up", and be "Accountable" for our behaviour and will address bullying as it happens: within the school (children to children), coming into the school (adults to adults), outside of the school (lateral violence). We have a Kindness campaign going on for the school, and using positive posters to address "kindness", a compliment box and working to take back the word; "bully". Let's make the change together and fill this world with kind words, thoughts, actions and express our "love" for all of the Creators creations, big and small.
We need to work together to support and communicate collaboratively to make the change and bring positive Restorative Practices into our daily lives.
The definition of Bullying varies but here are two examples:
Is when an individual or a group of people with more power repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond.
-or-
Repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour intended to cause fear, distress, or harm to another person's body, emotions, self-esteem or reputation.
What Bullying In NOT:
- Single episodes of social rejection or dislike
- single episode acts of nastiness or spite
- random acts of aggression or intimidation
- Mutual arguments, disagreements or fights
Here at Ghùch Tlâ Community School we have taken on the goal to "Hold Each Other Up", and be "Accountable" for our behaviour and will address bullying as it happens: within the school (children to children), coming into the school (adults to adults), outside of the school (lateral violence). We have a Kindness campaign going on for the school, and using positive posters to address "kindness", a compliment box and working to take back the word; "bully". Let's make the change together and fill this world with kind words, thoughts, actions and express our "love" for all of the Creators creations, big and small.
We need to work together to support and communicate collaboratively to make the change and bring positive Restorative Practices into our daily lives.
For those habituated to high levels of internal stress since early childhood, it is the absence of stress that creates unease, evoking boredom and a sense of meaningless. People may become addicted to their own stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, Hans Selye observed. To such persons stress feels desirable, while the absence of it feels like something to be avoided. -Gabor Mate M.D.-