Aboriginal Community Feast Thursday

** Aboriginal Community Feast ** **

 Thursday, November 13, 2014

** **

 5:00 – 8:00 pm

** ** Ottawa ** ** ** ** City Hall ** ** , Main Atrium **

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will host an Aboriginal Community Feast on

Thursday, November 13, 2014

. The evening is designed to share current practices and initiatives happening in our schools with First Nation, Metis, and Inuit families, community members, and those involved with FNMI youth. The goal is two-fold one to inform and two to listen.

Teacher, Kristin Kopra says, “We hope this evening will offer people the opportunity to discuss, comment and offer input on what we are doing and what we can do moving forward as a District to ensure that Aboriginal students and families feel welcomed, included, and accurately reflected in our school environments and classroom resources.”

The Aboriginal Community Feast will also be an opportunity to learn more about the OCDSB’s programs and initiatives (including our voluntary and confidential self-identification process) that are focused on improving FNMI student well-being, engagement, and academic achievement.  Organizers hope that the evening will encourage feedback and promote on-going dialogue.

The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Pamela Toulouse an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Laurentian University.  She is originally from the community of Sagamok First Nation. Dr. Toulouse is a proud Ojibwe/Odawa woman that comes from a long line of educators. She has over two decades of teaching experience.  She has been both an elementary school teacher and a professor.  She has published more than 50 resources which include books, curriculum pieces, articles and videos.  Dr. Toulouse chairs various committees, works with a variety of school boards, presents regularly and is active in her areas of research. ** Agenda **

5:00-5:15 pm

Smudging (outside)

5:15-5:30 pm

Opening Ceremony

5:30-6:30 pm

Dinner served & Keynote Speaker Pamela Toulouse

6:30-6:50 pm

OCDSB presentation & highlights video

6:50-7:35 pm

Group discussion

7:35-7:45 pm

Cultural performance 7:45-8:00 pm                   Closing Ceremony