March 2025 School and Community News - Eskasoni

Traveling Nitap Day starts with a group of Allison Bernard Memorial High School students stepping into classrooms filled with younger students eager to listen. They bring with them stories—stories of their ancestors, of traditions passed down through generations, of the Seven Sacred Teachings that shape their way of life. The students carry waltes boards and the materials needed to craft medicine pouches. What begins as a simple visit soon becomes something more profound: a bridge between communities, a sharing of culture, and an exchange that empowers teachers and learners.
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Guided by Principal Newell Johnson, Mi’kmaq teacher Rita Gould, and teacher Craig MacDonald, these high school students take ownership of their role. At first, some are hesitant, their voices uncertain. But as the day unfolds, confidence grows. They see their words resonate and their traditions embraced. Younger students listen intently, ask thoughtful questions, and leave with a newfound understanding of Mi’kmaq heritage.
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When schools invite them back year after year, the impact becomes clear—this is more than just a one-day event; it is a lasting connection. Past students proudly wear their Nitap shirts throughout the year and continually ask when the next day is at hand.
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Traveling Nitap Day was born from the idea of bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous students together through shared experiences. The stories told, the games played, and the traditions shared are more than lessons—they are invitations to see the world through a different lens. One student’s mother now wears the medicine pouch her son made during Nitap Day to his hockey games, a small symbol of the program’s reach beyond the classroom walls.

Mining Matters

Mining Matters is a non-profit organization that aims to promote Geoscience education and awareness. They facilitated some earth science programming  with students in grade 10-12. They offered a variety of activities and workshops that included a focus on Canada's Critical Minerals and Careers in the mining industry all taught through hands-on activities.

They did several activities with multiple classes including:

1. Human Water Cycle - Students were water droplets in the water cycle and went to different stages to build their own unique water droplet experience within the cycle. We also had a contaminated station to discuss water contamination and the effects.
2. Mine Waters - Students learnt about water pH and the impact that it has on environments. Students identified 3 different water samples pHs and selected the organism that would live there.
3. Career Matching - Students were given cards with job title, education requirements, and job tasks and asked to match them together. This introduced the different jobs available on the mine site.
4. Critical Mineral samples - Students were shown different critical mineral samples that were passed around the class to understand where the metals that we were discussing in class came from.
5. Nitinol Springs - Students were given a nitinol spring (shape shifting alloy) and were tasked with determining its transition temperature that it has been treated to. They reduced hot water to a point where the spring would no longer return to its original shape.
6. Electric Motors - Students were introduced to the concept of electric motors and built their very own with a AA battery, copper rotor, and magnet.
7. Tracing Metals in Your Smartphone - Students learned about the different components that make up our personal electronics and showed a deconstructed phone for reference. Students were then assigned 3 different metals/minerals to research their origin so we could look at the global trade aspect of these critical minerals.

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