Frontier College gifts literacy tools to Sioux Mountain Public School students
Reeti Meenakshi Rohilla - Staff Writer
As one of the schools chosen by Frontier College for support with literacy resources, Sioux Mountain Public School students received books and literacy tools as a gift from the college to engage with over their summer break.
Sioux Mountain Public School Principal Wayne Mercer said, “It’s an effort to bring literacy into the homes and it’s an opportunity for kids just to continue with their learning over the summer. So, it really is just all about making literacy accessible to our students.” He added, “It’s fantastic and we are very appreciative on behalf of our students and our families, that we were given this gift and it’s our pleasure to pass it on to families on behalf of Frontier College.”
Frontier College Regional Manager for Northern Ontario, Cathy Mehagan shared, “While COVID-19 has created new challenges for program delivery, it has not deterred us from striving to support learners in any way we can. In 2020-21, we have greatly enhanced our ability to safely deliver programming remotely through online platforms and Learning Kits.”
The school has received enough resources for all their students enrolled with in-person and virtual learning, shared Mercer. He explained that as the students returned to drop off the laptops that were issued for virtual learning last Friday, that they were also handed these books and literacy tools, along with their report cards, awards and certificates, and any forgotten belongings.
The books are of a variety of levels, from interactive children’s books to novels for the intermediate learners, shared Mercer. He added, “The kids’ books have a number of different activities in them. They have opportunities for kids to draw, and create and there is a little activity book in the bag, and some markers, crayons and stickers and things like that, for the kids to be creative with.”
Mehagan shared, “The partnership with Sioux Mountain Public School was forged through the Connected North/Taking it Global online bridge. Frontier College staff in Thunder Bay were able to live stream fun engaging learning activities directly into classrooms and build relationships with school staff throughout the academic year. We hope to continue to grow our partnership with schools and families in Sioux Lookout with a variety of opportunities both online and in person when conditions permit.”
Mercer is thankful for this gift by Frontier College and hopes it will encourage learning among students over the summer. “This is just encouraging families to talk to each other and to read together and to learn together during the summer, and we hope that this small gift from Frontier College can help facilitate that. We want to wish everyone a very happy and very safe summer, and we are looking forward to seeing our kids in person in the fall,” Mercer concluded.