Principal’s Message 

October 21, 2020

Tansi kiyawaw kahkiyaw!

It is with pleasure that I am sending out this Principal’s message to greet you all and reach out to parents and students of CNMS. As stated previously, I am very honoured to be back working with the community of BIL and the staff, students and parents of CNMS. I know I have big shoes to fill with the departure of Delores Bouchey who has moved back home closer to family. I, however, am very fortunate to be back with a community that I have always had ties to through family, through previous students and through geography as a resident of a neighboring community.

As you are aware, the staff of CNMS have worked hard to adapt to our new learning environment that has been brought on by the pandemic. Staff have been learning the best methods to teach online and have also developed homework packages as well as reached out in many ways as possible to “stay connected” to their students and parents.

We have had an opportunity to have in-person teaching for grades 6-12 for a period of time thus far. We had hoped to be able to welcome all grades on the 13th of October. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control, did not allow this to happen.

We, as First Nations, are resilient people and we have awesome staff that are also resilient and will continue to provide the best form of education as possible during these trying times. Our children are very important and we need to continue to provide learning opportunities for them.

The Big Island Leadership has worked hard to support the learning environment for students and for this we are very grateful. Through their support, internet service has increased and chromebooks have been supplied to each child.

We urge all parents to keep an eye on our website and to visit the classrooms that are featured there. Each teacher along with their EA’s have set up virtual classrooms so learning can continue.

Let us all work together to provide an education to our students. We as staff will continue to reach out and to provide instruction by any means possible. This may be our new norm, but it is a norm that we will own and define!

Please stay safe, sanitize, wash hands frequently, wear masks and keep your bubble small, limited to close family members in the same household. Our children, elders and people with chronic ailments are our most vulnerable. Let us work together to keep them safe and healthy.

Hiy, hiy.

Helen Ben

Thank you for visiting CNMS website!