SD52's Sm'algyax plans to be featured as part of national CBC program segment

The fall plans for School District 52 that will see the Sm'algyax language program expanded to all elementary schools will be getting a bit more notice across the country.

With CBC radio's program The 180 turning some of its focus on the project and the larger conversation on language instruction in Prince Rupert.

Program host Jim Brown interviews Roberta Edzerza the Aboriginal Education Principal for the School District, she provides an overview of the Prince Rupert education landscape and how the Sm'algyax education plan fits into community and what changes it may bring to partnerships in the region.

Ms. Edzerza noted the recognition of the region as Tsimshian territory and the current demographics of the SD52 system, which lists 62 percent of the students in local schools as Aboriginal in background.

As well, she observed some of the features of the cultural and diverse make up of the community and how residents engage within that richness and how the expansion of the language program may build on that spirit.

She also provides a glimpse into the some of the feedback from the recent moves to expand the
Sm'algyax program in the schools with a number of parents embracing and supporting the program.

Ms. Edzerza also offers up reflection when it comes to some of the impressions of those those that are still not as supportive as others, when it comes to the District's language plans.

You can read some excerpts from the interview and listen in to the Prince Rupert segment of the program here.

The 180 airs on CBC Radio One on Sundays at 11 AM and Mondays at 2 PM, for those with Sirius XM the program is available on Channel 169 at the same times.

Some background on the program can be found here.

For more items related to School District 52 see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review

SD52's Sm'algyax plans gaining notice beyond Prince Rupert

A plan starting this September to introduce the Sm'algyax language to all elementary school students enrolled with SD 52 is starting to catch attention far beyond the Prince Rupert and Port Edward.

Last week CBC's Daybreak North program was the first to outline the decision from SD52 officials, that will see the District expand their Sm'algyax language program to all of the district elementary schools at the Kindergarten to Grade 4 level.

In the interview, (which you can listen to here) Roberta Edzerza, the Aboriginal Education Principal for the District explained how the School District is approaching language education at the moment and outlined how the language program will work in the fall.

Early on in their efforts of the past to introduce the concept of Sm'algyax instruction to the region, School District 52 featured this information overview, which gives the reader more background on the language and traces the history of the language and the Tsimshian people.

As well, the efforts of School District 52 caught the attention of UNBC which created a Living legacy page related to the language back in 2003, though that project has not been updated since April of 2013.

More background,  on what's ahead for the fall of 2015 can be found below, through a number of media items related to last weeks announcement.

CFNR -- All Prince Rupert K-Grade 4 students to get Sm'algyax language instruction (audio)
CBC British Columbia -- Prince Rupert students must learn indigenous language from September
Vancouver Sun -- Prince Rupert elementary students to be taught the local First Nations language
Huffington Post -- Prince Rupert students to all learn First Nations Language

The move was also reported by the CBC's French language service Radio Canada

For more items related to School District 52 developments see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review