SASKATOON – St. Frances elementary school will be a little more crowded this year.
The Saskatoon elementary school is projected to welcome a net total of 86 new students for this school year, with a majority of them enrolling in its Cree language bilingual program.
St. Frances’ net enrollment increase is more than any other school in the Catholic school system, according to its annual budget report.
“It’s cool and fun to have new kids that you can make friends with,” said nine-year-old Kaylan, a fourth grade student in the program.
“We just continue to grow,” said Jenise Vangool, the school’s principal.
The program is entering its seventh year and adds a new grade every year. The inaugural Cree class at St. Frances had 12 students, but now over 250 children are enrolled in the school’s bilingual path.
“We now have kindergarten to grade six, ten Cree speaking teachers and support staff that supports them,” added Vangool, who’s been at the school since 2009.
School administrators point to community outreach as one reason why the school has seen its numbers rise over the years.
“We started to involve the community a lot more and share with our elders and get input from them,” said Vangool.
Students in the Cree track follow the same core curriculum as the rest of Saskatchewan’s schools; however their staff believe that the program delves deeper than just academics.
The same language that was demonized during the years of residential schools in Canada is now being embraced and celebrated by teachers and administrators at St. Frances.
“I believe that our kids, the new generation here at the Cree program, we are in the healing process,” said Priscilla St. John, a first grade teacher, referring to the fallout from residential schools.
“We are going to make a difference.”
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