Edmonton Catholic Schools hosted a Grand Opening Celebration for Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare Catholic Elementary/Junior High School on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. The school, designed and built to honour Indigenous culture and provide enriched learning opportunities, opened on August 31, 2022, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 9.
The Grand Opening Celebration featured cultural performances, liturgy, remarks from dignitaries, and school tours.
The school features flexible learning spaces and connectivity to the outdoors. There are dedicated cultural spaces to support Indigenous teachings, reflecting the significance of Indigenous culture in programming.
Kêhtêya/Elder Elizabeth Letendre from the ECSD Council of Elders was instrumental in the design and worked closely with the Division to ensure the school would serve students and staff in a culturally appropriate way. Ms. Betty and ECSD Administration travelled across Canada to tour other schools with Indigenous elements.
"We were involved right from the blueprints to the designing, everything," shared Kêhtêya Letendre. "There were so many things we were a part of."
chi-miigwech maskihkiya | Music and lyrics by Cheryl L'Hirondelle | Performed by Cheryl L'Hirondelle | Courtesy of: 2018 Miyoh Music/SOCAN
Ms. Betty shares that this is not a regular school; it has the spirit of culture, language, and high academics where everyone can feel welcome.
"The tipi above the school honours the history of the children and ancestors," said Kêhtêya Letendre. "The colours are focused on the significance of the number four: the four elements of fire, water, air, wind, the four directions."
Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare Catholic Elementary/Junior High School takes a holistic approach to student learning and development guided by both Indigenous and Catholic values. The school offers Cree language and cultural programs, including traditional dancing, drumming, and singing, Elder teachings, land teachings, daily smudging ceremonies, pipe ceremonies, beading, Métis jigging, and much more.
"It's wonderful to have a school designed for Indigenous students with principles and values important to the Indigenous community at the foundation," said Board Chair Sandra Palazzo. "Having a ceremonial space and architecture that respects tipi teachings is meaningful not only to the students, families, and staff but also to the community. Every inch of the school is an intentional, thoughtful space."
"Growing communities need the right spaces for students to gain the skills and knowledge needed to prepare them for their future successes," said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education. "I am excited for Edmonton Catholic and the Indigenous community for this amazing school that will create a unique learning environment that promotes inclusivity, cultural understanding, and the development of well-rounded students."
The Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare Catholic Elementary/Junior High School cost of $25.6 million benefitted from investments by the Government of Canada, which contributed $6 million, the Government of Alberta, which funded $17.8 million, and Edmonton Catholic Schools, which provided $1.8 million.
"Reconciliation with Indigenous communities is a top priority for our Government. This new school will not only enrich the student experience, but will also ensure that they have access to culturally appropriate services, valuable resources, and teachings. Today's investment will also provide Edmontonians with a safe space to facilitate Indigenous cultural ceremonies and activities for generations to come," said the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure, and Communities.
Construction began in September 2020, and the school opened to students on August 31, 2022. The two-storey school was built next to the original school and is over 6,800 square meters in size.
Greeting from School Council Chair - Karen Brower
Your Excellency, Council of Elders, Members of Parliament, City Councillors, Edmonton Catholic School District, School Board Trustees, former Principals, Ms. Thompson, teachers, and community guests.
I bring greetings to you from our parent council. As I look around I am overwhelmed I thought it was ro be a small gathering but through our kinship it looks more like a family reunion. What started off as a mandate to increase enrollment soon turned to a dream of a cafeteria has now become this unbelievably marvellous new home for education of our Ben Calf Robe St, Clare family. Thank you for coming alongside and helping us. Through prayer, your knowledge, finances and your willingness to give and take. Meeting us where we are at with a hope of where we will be. Seeing us as Creator's child believing the very best in us and for us.Thank you for your trust in us as parents and guardians, our children's first teachers and then to the teachers and staff who daily continue the journey. I could go on and on of all the blessings this school and extended school community has given us. Ray Boltz sings a song titled Thank You. It's about a dream of a man going to heaven and one by one people start coming forward telling of the ways this person impacted their life. The course says Thank you for giving to the Lord I am a life that was changed.
On behalf of the parents and guardians the leaders in our homes thank you for giving to the Lord we are families who have forever been changed by this new school and it's community.
Hiy hiy
