Note: Some footage used in this video was filmed prior to the pandemic and may not depict social distancing measures.
Transcription – Leah Kippomee – 2020 Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence in Early Childhood Education
[Close-up of woman in an interview setting against a backdrop of flashcards. Music playing.]
"The children, they're always cheerful. They're always happy about something. They're always positive.'"
[Fade to black and then up to white with medium shot of woman, smiling, on the left side of the screen, with the following words appearing, line by line, on the right: Leah Kippomee, Pirurvik Preschool, Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Fade to black and then up to close-up of Leah in the interview setting.]
"I say a friendly environment contributes to a child's success in education I believe. When a child is feeling safe they like to attend. When it's a happy, safe environment. They do successfully well."
[Fade to black and then and then cut back to close-up of Leah in the interview setting. Leah showing syllabic cards]
"I really like these. These are our sandpaper syllabics. And they're in their own Inuktitut syllabics and they're really good to teach the younger generation because they can feel it. The younger generation from taking the ECE course I have learned a great deal and toddlers learn best when they can feel. Feel first, so I like these. "
[Fade to black and then and then cut back to close-up of Leah in the interview setting.]
"Our students are all Inuit. And because it's our tradition we try and use as much as – Inuktitut as possible. But we do speak English. Not all the time but some. It's just really important because it's our culture. They have to know where they come from. So it is important that we introduce our Inuit way of life to these children because it's their culture. It is important."
[Cut to photos, with voice over. Photos: Leah and child sitting a table with their backs to the camera. Leah and child sitting with a stretched seal skin.]
[Cut back to close-up of Leah in the interview setting.]
"We have stuff that were used by our ancestors. Like seal skinning, drying the seal skins. We also have traditional Inuit games that we'll let them do. Like circle time we'll do a little Inuit game if they want. And we have drums."
[Fade to black and then and then cut back to close-up of Leah in the interview setting.]
''Yes we have our culture in here too. Well if you're passionate with children you will teach them something. And when you have a job that you're passionate with you do well."
[Fade to black, with the Government of Canada FIP and then the Canada Wordmark appearing in white.]
Year: 2020 — Province: Nunavut
Certificate of Excellence Recipient
Pirurvik Preschool
Preschool program for children ages 3 to 5 years
Pond Inlet, Nunavut
Leah's use of Inuktitut and cultural engagement in the preschool environment allows children to thrive, and provides them with a positive first engagement in education that will affect their lives for years to come.
Leah Kippomee is an adored community child caregiver and now an advocate for early childhood education across Nunavut. Her centre, where she is the Lead Teacher, won the $1-million 2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize. As a result, Leah is now sharing her expertise with seven other Nunavut communities to change the educational experience for both parents and children, and help overcome the legacy of the residential schools era.
Philosophy of care
Leah's Nunavut-made approach to early childhood education is child-centered, based on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional knowledge)—in particular Pilimmaksarniq, the principle of allowing children to learn at their own pace—and enriched through the use of Montessori materials and practices.
Support of child development
- Introduces hands-on learning materials to children when they are ready, allowing them to use them at their leisure, following their natural curiosity; this experiential approach optimizes each child's unique development and creates a classroom of engaged and happy learners.
- Employs cultural materials and activities to allow children to connect with their lives at home and in the community, including seal skin scraping and stretching, lashing together the parts of a Qamutiq (sled), playing string games and bone games, and telling stories with a felt board or finger puppets.
- Fosters the learning and use of Inuktitut through books, songs, syllabics and stories from Elders—all helping make a positive beginning to children's learning.
- Uses observation to get to know the children, how they spend their time at preschool, and which activities they are drawn to, so she can provide the children with what they need, when they need it.
Involvement with parents, families and the community
- Encourages parents to participate in culture activities at the preschool, to integrate at home what the children are learning at preschool, including practical life skills and fine motor skills, and to set up areas of the home to foster children's development, learning and confidence: a spot where a child can reach their own dishes, a step stool so they can turn on the taps and wash themselves; a quite area for them to play.
- Uses Inuktitut at the preschool when sharing stories and encourages parents to do the same by exchanging ideas, feelings, opinions, hopes and dreams, and reading stories and playing games with their children to develop language skills.
- Emphasizes the importance of local input into child care: works with daycare boards to help them apply the local knowledge—including of community child-rearing practices and resources that can be made by local artisans, sewers and craftsmen—necessary for developing an Inuit–Montessori framework for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in one cohesive environment.
Get in touch!
Pirurvik Preschool
Building 233, P.O. Box #431
Pond Inlet NU X0A 0S0
867-899-8964
pirurvikpreschool@hotmail.com
https://www.pirurvikpreschool.com/
Facebook: @pirurvikpreschool