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PoliticsMunicipalElectionEducationStudentSuccess14TuesdayOctober292013ByMARIACHURCHAnewactionplanlaunchedbyNorthlandSchoolDivisioninnorthernAlbertafocus-ingonFirstNationsMtisandInuitFNMIneedshaseducatorshopefulthatcul-tureandcommunitywillimprovedivision-widestu-dentsuccess.WehavetomeettheneedsofthestudentsrstandourstudentsareMtisandFirstNationDeloresPruden-Bar-rieNorthlandsdirectorofFNMIeducationsaidinaninterviewwithTheJournal.Pruden-BarrieledthedraftingofthedivisionwideFNMIActionPlanandsaiditsacrucialandhistoricmo-mentfortheschooldivision.Itsteachingbeyondthefourwallsofourschoolsshesaid.Thisiswhatwefeelisaveryimportantroleandneedforourstudentstoimprovesuccesslearningintheiren-vironmentandlearningaboutthewell-beingandconnect-ednessofthecommunity.ByMARIACHURCHWard2votersintheRe-gionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffalohaveelectedforanewdirection.OfcialelectionresultsshowJuliaCardinalandJohnChadioustedtheincumbentsdur-ingvotingonOct.21andwillnowbeservingascouncillorsforthecommunitiesofFortChipewyanFortMcKayandFitzgeraldAlta.VotingtookplaceMon-dayandsawCardinalgarner23.7percentofthevotewith130ballots.Chadigarnered21.7percentwith119votes.In-cumbentsDavidBlairandLloydSonnyFlettre-ceived18.4percentwith101and19.7percentwith108respectively.EdithFraserreceived16.4percentwith90votes.Atotalof548ballotswerecastinWard2thelargestwardinRMWBintermsoflandmass.BlakebackinofceMayorMelissaBlakewillbeleadingthemunicipalityforafourthtermafterresultsshowadecidedvictoryoverothercandidates.Blakereceived60.3percentofthevotewhilerunner-upGeneOuellettereceived30percentandJimRogersreceived9.8percent.Fourelectionsinarowisprettyastoundingac-tually.Ifeelgreataboutbeingselectedbythecom-munityagainBlaketoldTheJournal.WhileshewashesitanttolabelitalandslideBlakead-mitteditwasarespectableportionofthevote.InanearlierinterviewBlakeexplainedthatthiswasthefirsttimesheranformayorbasedonhermomentuminsteadofchallenges.Thisiskindofinterest-ing.ItsthersttermIcansaythatImdoingbecauseIreallywanttoBlakesaid.Anytermbeforeitwasmoreaboutovercomingthechallengesthatwehad.Nowwerejustembarkingonareallybrilliantpathfor-wardwhenitcomestotheopportunitieshereandourcapabilityofcapitalizingonthem.MovingforwardBlakesaidthecouncilwillcon-tinuetofocusondevelopingthelandsurroundingFortMcMurraymadeavail-ablefollowingamilestoneagreementwiththepro-vincialgovernmentearlierthisyear.Intheruralcommuni-tiesBlakesaidfocuswillbedirectedtowardsqual-ityoflifeprojectssuchasconstructionoftheArchieSimpsonAquaticCentreinFortChipewyan.VoterturnoutdropsDespiteanextensiveadvertisingcampaignlaunchedintheleaduptotheelectiontotargetvoterapathyvoterturnoutthisyearwaslowerthanthepreviousmunicipalelec-tionin2010.Accordingtoapressre-leasefromthemunicipalityapproximately20percentofeligiblevoterscastballotsintheelectionor11815ofapossible60000.Voterturnoutin2010was21percentor10750of52000eligiblevoters.NewfaceselectedtoWard2inRMofWoodBuffaloMayorMelissaBlaketoremaininofceforafourthtermNorthlandadoptsAboriginal-focusedactionplanNorthlandserves24schoolsinnorthernAlbertaandofthe2400students90to95percentareofFirstNationsMtisorInuitbackground.Foryearsthedivisionhasbeenunderpressuretoaddressstudentsuccesswithachievementexamre-sultsconsistentlyplacingthemajorityofschoolsbelowthenationalandprovincialaverage.In2010AlbertaEduca-tiondraftedanInquiryTeamReportfortheschooldivisionwhichsuggestedstrengthen-ingAboriginallanguageandcontentinNorthlandsschools.NorthlandscommitteeofschooladministratorsAb-originallanguageinstructorsandadvisoryboardmembersledbyPruden-BarriedrewonrecommendationsfromthereporttocreatetheFNMIActionPlan.TheplanwasapprovedbytheschoolboardinSeptemberandwillseeimplementationoveranumberofyearssaidDonnaBarrettsuperinten-dentofNorthland.ThisissomethingthatisgoingtohappenovertimeBarrettsaid.Wellseegrowthbutthisisnotsomethingthatisgoingtobestartedandthendone.Itwillbeongoingasweredesigntheeducationalsystemtomeettheneedsofourstudents.TheFMNIactionplanputsintowritingmanyAboriginalcontentandprogrammingini-tiativesthatNorthlandschoolsarealreadyimplementingsuchasbasketweavingpro-gramsandculturalcamps.Whatwearetryingtodonowisgofurtherwiththatbroadenthebaseofinitiativessothatmorethingsarehap-peningacrossthecurriculuminallofourschools.SoitskindofbuildingonthatBarrettsaid.ShesaidthatculturalcontentmustbeintroducedaroundthestandardizedAl-bertacurriculumthatallpro-vincialschoolsadhereto.Forexamplestudentsmustdonovelstudiesbuthaveex-ibilityastowhichbooksareselected.TheFMNIActionPlanwouldseeAboriginalauthorsorstoriestaughttostudents.Anotheraspectoftheac-tionplancallsforanincreaseincommunityengagementthroughuseofgatheringsnewslettersandsocialmedia.Northlandservesstu-dentsincommunitiesthatarespreadoutthroughtheNorthandtherearedifferentperspectivesineachcommu-nityaboutlanguageandcul-tureandsopartofthecom-munityengagementprocesswhenyouaredesigningcur-riculumthatisresponsivetothelocalcontextyouneedtoengagethecommunityinthatBarrettsaid.Northlandrecentlyhirednearly20educatorsgraduatedfromtheAboriginalTeachersEducationProgramATEPwhowillbereturningtotheirhomecommunitiestoteach.Thelocalteachingforcewillideallyprovideguidancetocurrentstaffincommunityengagement.AsaMtiswomanPruden-Barriesaidanimportantas-pectofherowneducationwastappingintohercultureandshewouldliketoseethesameforallstudentsinNorthland.Thisprojectisveryveryimportanttomeshesaid.Everyoneshouldhaveowner-shipintheirowncommunityandhaveasenseofbelonging.AcontrolzonepreventingcontactbetweendiseasedandhealthybisonliessouthoftheMackenzieRivertotheAlbertaborderandbetweenTroutRiverandBuffaloRiver.Allbisoninthisareaarepresumedtobediseasecarriersandmustberemovedfortesting.IfyouseebisoninthecontrolzonepleasecontactyournearestEnvironmentandNaturalResourceOfcerorcall1-866-629-6438.Formoreinformationvisitwww.enr.gov.nt.caPhotoNorthlandSchoolDivisionDeloresPruden-BarrieleadstheFMNIactionplancommittee.