Trading School for Our Classroom

AMBE FOUNDATIONS and T.R. LEGER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

We aren’t going to sugar-coat the fact that many of our students did not choose to attend Foundations. The students were sent here for issues such as truancy for an alternative to learning in a mainstream school. But, people are capable of change and with a new way of learning, students are capable of achieving a high school education, with a twist. What immediately becomes remarkable to us about these students is that they are able to achieve and they are willing to put pen to paper or paddle to water, to be successful. They have traded in conventional learning for alternative success and have demonstrated that the program works. Beyond the four potential graduates and academic obtainment of over 30 credits (and counting) among our students, they have achieved and learned much more than what may have been offered to them in a conventional setting.

We, the staff at AMBE Foundations, do our best to get the students out of their desks and learning beyond the books. Numerous field trips have taken us to areas with a specific Aboriginal interest. Among many of our trips was lunch at Sweetgrass Bistro in Ottawa. This restaurant serves traditional and seasonal First Nations cuisine and is decorated by local artists. Two days a week the girls head to Cornwall for hairstyling and aesthetics and three days a week a variety of students are ‘Cave Man Strong’ at Cross-Fit. Here, some of the biggest changes have occurred. You can see the transformation of body and an increase in pride as the weights the students lift get heavier and they strengthen their bodies and minds. We have also noticed that lately there is a lot more Mohawk language being used and shared in the class. This is in large part due to the Mohawk language course offered here every day taught by Rosemarie White. In May, we were presented with the opportunity to go canoeing for the day and earn basic ORCKA canoeing certification. On Thompson Island, the students were put in touch with their rich Aboriginal history, heritage and culture as they paddled the St. Lawrence. This has lead to an invitation for them to go for an overnight trip in June to further their canoeing skills in faster waters.

There are other ways to learn besides the traditional classroom. The Foundations site proves this. The students are travelling and exploring while earning their credits. We take a casual approach to learning and do it in a varied way. The teachers incorporate Aboriginal ideas expressed in the media, literature and controversial topics to the students on a regular basis, all the while not ignoring what is going on in the rest of the world. Our school is about commitment to, and pride in, oneself going hand in hand with a strong cultural understanding and awareness. This varied approach to learning is successful for those students that dedicate themselves to getting all they can out of what this school has to offer.

Our year is not over yet. Cross-Fit, hairstyling, Mohawk language, and trips continue all the while our students learn about themselves and their world. They work together to achieve success and are graduating with an education more varied and complex than most. We are fortunate to teach and learn with them.

Staff: Chip George, Rebecca McPherson & Kelly O’Farrell