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Start advancing your career and skill set in the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board (WSB), where educators can make a massive difference for the community every day.

Teaching in W̱SÁNEĆ communities is similar to the public system in that the goal is still to provide a holistic and inclusive learning experience for all students.

"With regard to teaching, in itself, we do follow the provincial guidelines in our schools. We teach the curriculum as with any other school in B.C.," says Grade 1 teacher Margo Lisik. "We enhance [the curriculum] with the SENĆOŦEN language program and the cultural program we have here."

Where things differ a little is the district's mission, which is to ensure the environments students learn in connect with their cultural, emotional, physical and spiritual needs based on W̱SÁNEĆ values.

"When you think of traditional teaching, this environment has so much more than just the delivery of the curriculum," says Hayley Cunningham, who teaches math, media and careers at W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Secondary School. "Learning here doesn't just happen at your desk. It happens on the land, at our morning protocol, or out on the soccer field."

"It's really expansive and welcoming."

REVITALIZING SENĆOŦEN

The W̱SB is governed by the elected Chiefs and Councils of W̱JOȽEȽP/Tsartlip, SȾÁUTW̱/Tsawout, BOḰEĆEN/Pauquachin and W̱SIḴEM/Tseycum First Nations. A key focus for the WSB is preserving and revitalizing the SENĆOŦEN language. Programs in SENĆOŦEN are offered to students at every level, from preschool to post-secondary.

Students can become fluently bilingual in the immersion stream, which from preschool to Grade 3 is entirely in SENĆOŦEN and Grades 4-12 in both SENĆOŦEN and English.

As part of its long-term vision, the WSB wants to ensure that future generations feel connected to their culture and ancestral homelands. Preserving and revitalizing SENĆOŦEN is a significant part of this strategy.

WHAT TEACHERS SAY

Schools in the WSB take advantage of their beautiful natural location, offering students the enviable opportunity to spend each Friday entirely outdoors, exploring the lands, hearing traditional stories and learning more about their community's history.

"We have opportunities to play games in the forest," Grade 6 teacher Berkeley Lott says. "The students come back, they're talking about how amazing it was, and you're creating these relationships with the students, and they're sharing more."

Teaching in the WSB means you'll grow both as an educator and a person while instilling a lifelong passion for learning in your students.

"I'd recommend [teaching here] to everyone who wants to build their education career doing something valuable," Lott says.

"As soon as you walk in the building, you're surrounded by songs and drumming and friendships with the kids and staff. There's all this camaraderie that comes with the teaching," Cunningham says.

"This is where I can see myself up until the end of my career. It feeds my soul. It feeds my love of life."

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Start teaching in a place where you can make a significant difference in the lives of your students. Visit today to see a list of open jobs and apply.