Little Moccasins Head Start Program
Simpcw First Nation
Little Moccasins Head Start staff, Angie Rainer and Arlene Mitchell, along with language teacher Kye7e Mona Jules, Roberta Haller, Charli Fortier, Therese Ritchie and student Marisa Eustache enjoyed a day at Tk’emlúps immersed in “SecwepmectsínWel Me7 Yews…Wel Me7 Yews (Excellence Through Mentoring), a language learning workshop held on Friday, Feb 1.
Ideas, thoughts, songs and games were shared with other programs on how to enhance and build on the Secwepmectsín language in our classrooms, daycares and homes.
Our group brought a game called. ‘Mr. Mouse, Mr. Mouse Under Which Color House?’ The game consists of different colored houses being laid down, and a mouse is then hidden under one of the houses.
The teacher instructs the children to “Ctseptsipsem-cwiye” (All of you close your eyes.) The mouse is then hidden under a house and the teacher asks: “Ts’kenmefqw tek tsitcw k w7ec-wes re kwékwtne?” (Which color house is the mouse in?)
The children guess which house while learning the various Secwepmectsin words and sentences.
Once the mouse is found, the child says with excitement “Penmímen re kwékwtne!” (I found the mouse)
By sharing this game we discovered many different activities of incorporating Secwepmectsin TPR methods.
Networking with different language educators from various centers helps us to increase the connections of culture and traditional language knowledge in our daily lives and interactions with our children.
Ideas were gathered on how to increase and guide our children and staff in their knowledge and use of Secwepemctsin. This approach of language sharing assists the teachers and guides with our curriculum development in an effective and efficient language program throughout the Secwepemc Nation.