 My name is Blair Goulds and I work for Mi'kmaqanao Madnui. I'm the director of programs and student support services. I'm going to be talking about today the oral language program that Mi'kmaqanao Madnui has developed for early years oral language development. So the program is targeted for 3, 4, 5 and 6 year olds. So that tends to be between kindergarten 3 and grade 1. So we developed a series of resources supporting the overall assessment of oral language with the 3, 4, 5, 6 year olds of course. And so we look at the perspectives from the children and of course their caregivers, their elders and their teachers. And so we've developed in total 4 different assessments that capture individual students and their success in oral language. And of course looking at how contributors from those 3 areas ensure success for all children or the child actually. What we have developed is a series of puppets, more specifically for oral language. The face of that is Andle, the most puppet. And we've developed hand puppets, finger puppets. And we developed so far as early 2019 a total of 11 books and both 4 of which are translated in Mi'kmaqanao and in English. And the other 7 which are translated into 3 languages, English, Mi'kmaqa and French. What we're doing about this program that makes it so great and so distinct is that we're driving what assessment looks like for our children. And we are controlling and taking control of that piece that has been long controlled by somebody else. And so we are taking the ruler and redefining that ruler and measuring our own successes that fit our needs and of course the needs of our students. We pride ourselves in partnering with directors of education, with principals, with teachers, with parents and of course with the partners at the table from their respective organizations. All centered around changing and enhancing what is happening of course with our children in these respective grades. What I've seen, the benefits of this program that I've seen is that it's bridging together community and school. And so ultimately beyond the assessment, and we call it an assessment but it's much more than that. But really beyond that, it's bridging together community and school. And so we're seeing a lot of parents engaged through this process of course. They are one of the main contributors to the assessment as well as equally as students as equally as elders and teachers. We've seen a dramatic change in the way parents are just assuming that responsibility of their child's learning. That that's very important, that we engage the parents, that they know what's going on, that they see success within their children. They know how to contribute to success and so it's been such a rewarding piece to be part of that. And not everybody is perfect most certainly, but we all strive to want the same things. The other benefits of this program that I've seen, you know besides the assessment itself, beyond all of that itself. What we've seen and of course accounts of teachers is that how Andale has kind of set a tone in the classroom. And so one particular classroom teacher had shared, when I bring him out like nobody talks to him in any other language but meet mom. That the puppet is a family, you know is part of this classroom family. And children are very respectful of the things that they do and the things that they say. And they ensure that they include this puppet and so we know the close relationships that students have developed with this puppet. We're seeing now very early on in our pilot stages when we introduced it in grades kindergarten. We're now seeing those same children in grade one and so there's an existing relationship there. And so there's that existing trust there as well. And so what we're hoping for is just to really allow children to develop those relationships to be comfortable while doing assessments. They never know they're being assessed. It's just part of a friendly game with Andale one to one. And of course it allows us to collect over a thousand pieces of information. Of course which communities own, communities own their own data. And that allows communities to make those decisions, you know, data to instruct instruction. Some challenges, you know, I don't like to see them as challenges. But sometimes weather is a challenge. You know, sometimes we of course respect the jurisdiction that each community holds for education. And so it's not a one size fits all model. We're very respective of how communities want to do this and carry it out. Some people do it in a birthday party fashion, for example. Some people do it more one to one, you know, without a birthday party and that's totally fine. We like to celebrate all successes. And so I don't see them as challenges as much as we're celebrating that distinctiveness of all of our communities and how we approach this common approach that we developed of course with everybody at the table. Of course some of the challenges have been like inside of training. So when we provide training we are looking at different ways of offering training because it's not always feasible to do face-to-face training with our educators. Sub-shortage is such a real thing and we don't like to pull teachers away from their classrooms too often. And so we're looking at alternate ways of delivering PD, meaningful PD, which will allow them to connect a little bit further, you know, beyond just the one day that they can always go back to referencing some of that learning that needs to happen. Some of the advice I would have is of course we are open to sharing. We've built on this with the intention that we would be open to sharing the work that we've done. Of course there is a process in that. What we want to continue to pave forward within ourselves of course is taking control of that. You know, Underlay has four best friends right now. We're in, Alia discovers her math and developing a math assessment program for grades primary to three using the same existing characters that we've developed. But one girl taking the face of that assessment. And so there's two other puppets and so we need to really come back, recollect ourselves and decide on those priorities that we have for the intention of our characters that we developed together. And I believe that, you know, when we look at celebrating our successes, I know I've gone to many conferences to share about what we're doing and what's working. You know, this is just a one little piece of work that we're doing striving for, you know, First Nation control of First Nation education, exercising our jurisdiction. And, you know, when we think about indigenizing the classrooms and ensuring that when our children see resources, they see themselves reflecting reflected in all of everything that we do. That is a high priority for us, of course, engaging beyond the four walls of the school and engaging with the community is something that's very important to us. And of course, above all, you know, is ensuring that we're doing right. We're setting the priorities for tomorrow's workforce, right? And so we really, really want to embrace technology. We want to maintain the connection with our languages and our cultures. You know, and this is just a sliver of what we do at Mi'kmaq and Amad Nui. And I'm sure my colleagues have shared many other wonderful initiatives that are happening, that are driven by community for community. That is what we strive for. And I wish I could share more about what language is doing. Of course, that's such a big component of who we are as Mi'kmaq and Amad Nui. Our board of directors, of course, the chiefs of all the communities hold language at such a high importance in that there is such a critical need to revitalize and reclaim our languages in this land. To me, Indigenous education is not different from education. That we have the same principles. We define our outcomes. We ensure that our culture and our languages are well respected within those principles. We give the highest opportunity and the most opportunity to our students to ensure employability. We ensure that wellness is a big component of what we do. I think Indigenous education is something that strives and has paved the way. Mi'kmaq and Amad Nui is such a prime example of that. And looking at myself as a learner, I grew up in a Mi'kmaq and Amad Nui system where my community had the control. And the jurisdiction over education. And so that says something, not only to myself in present day, you know, that I was allowed to go to school from kindergarten to grade 12 and even some post-secondary education in my own community. I learned amongst my own people. I learned from my own people. I had many teachers who were Mi'kmaq. And to me, that only enhanced the success that I have today. And I feel very empowered being part of that. And so I've never, you know, we talk about different stories about racism, about, you know, experiencing those traumatic things as young children, as, you know, middle school children, whomever. And I'm very fortunate to say that in my schooling from kindergarten to grade 12 that I never had to experience that. And most importantly, my children will never have to experience that as they go to school in our own community. And I'm very proud of that. It's something that I think will develop them better, you know, as more confident learners, very successful learners. I have such high priorities and high standards for what we do. The standards that I set, you know, for myself five years ago look entirely different now. And I believe I've reached them and I've set the bar higher. And so what I want to do in the next 10 years is continue to set that bar higher to ensure that nobody is left behind, to ensure that we accommodate all students within our system. And of course, most importantly, and I think it's just a Mi'gma way of being is to share what we always do. That Abohanamadol Di is such an important concept for us Mi'gma that we have to help one another. And so I think Mi'gma Ghunamadnoy has really exemplified some of the ways that we control education, of course, within our communities. But it's something that, you know, when I think 10 years from now, I see our languages reclaimed. I see a school system, both provincially and First Nation, you know, respectively promoting more cultural identity, promoting this relationship that we have as treaty people. I see Canada being in a better place with the work that our people are doing and have done. And, you know, while being very ambitious, it's important to be ambitious in everything that we do. That creates standard. And so when we work towards ambitious goals, they eventually become reality. You know, and so I assume, you know, thinking about Mi'gma Ghunamadnoy 20 years ago, that our chief set ambitious goals. And I believe we've reached them within 20 years. And so there's a need to set further ambitious goals. And again, to see where we are and measuring our success. Being the control, you know, having control over our own data is such an important piece of that. Ensuring that we include all learners, whether or not we have diverse learners. You know, respecting all learners is, of course, a high priority for us. I think that learning happens inside and outside of schools. And I think we are in such a great position to enhance that. And so I hope, and yeah, I just think that in 10 years from now, we will continue to set the bar higher and higher until, you know, and I know it's going to forever be something that we do.