February 2, 2026
.jpeg)
Congratulations to the winners of our Poetry Contest!
K–2: Annie Jane Bernard (We’koqma’q)
Grades 3–5: Willow Morouney-White Quills (Wasoqopa’q)
Grades 6–8: Gabriella Sylliboy (Eskasoni)
Grades 9–12: Angel Knockwood (Eskasoni)
Wela’lin to everyone who submitted a poem. We were so inspired by your creativity and loved reading each and every entry. Your words truly honour the legacy of Dr. Rita Joe.
We hosted a Board of Directors retreat this month in mid January. The working retreat offered the Board an opportunity to engage in discussions around board priorities such as language engagement, student and community health and wellness, and more. Coming together in a more relaxed environment allowed them to slow down and really focus on and highlight the things that matter to their communities and the Nation as a whole.
We ended the month of January by spending 2 full days working on our 2026/27 Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey Operational Plan. This plan sets out our goals for the upcoming year and ensures we are continuously setting the bar higher to remain a leader in Education. All members of the team at MK play an important role in the planning and execution of the operational plan. The first day was spent working with Jeff Orr, who helped us think about the needs of communities and schools and how we can support those needs. The second day was spent with Warren Helfrich who worked with us to think about new ways of collecting and using data to advance our goals. The draft plans will be reviewed during our Annual Symposium in March to get feedback from communities to be sure we are supporting their needs and we aren't missing anything.
Academic Services
Student Services
Our Autism Teacher Specialist, Ambrah MacNeil hosted a series of two virtual sessions for high school teachers in the evenings on January 15 and January 22. The 26 participants learned more about understanding autism and sensory processing with strategies to support. Each participant will also be receiving a sensory kit for their classroom to promote regulation.
Elementary Numeracy
Kyla Bernard, Elementary Numeracy Consultant, offered training at We'koqma'q school for the MK developed Aleit grade 1 assessment. She was very excited to share that so far this year, since returning in January, at least 3 teachers have completed the grade 1 math Aliet assessments. These assessments offer a well rounded picture of student learning so it is great to see teachers using them and adapting their lessons to the results.
The engagement in IXL platform has been so great that all licences have been allotted and she had to order more! Kyla is proud to share that there are 450 students with licenses the Analytics show that the platform has been used approximately 477 hours total between Math and English Language arts since September 8. She also wanted to note that 69,000 questions answered between all MK students and teachers using IXL! If anyone has any questions or want to learn more about IXL please contact Kyla - kyla@kinu.ca
Secondary Literacy
Our secondary Literacy Consultant coordinated a Professional Development opportunity for teachers who teach grades 5-10 this month. They learned about different writing techniques and did some hands on exercises to identify what strategies would work for a variety of diverse learners. Teachers also received binders for their classes with exercises for their grades.
Mi'kmaw Language and Culture
This month we started the Mi’kmaq Reading and Writing course with Katani Julian. This 10-week course supports fluent speakers in developing their reading and writing skills, strengthening language use and confidence. We wish all 25 participants a great learning journey ahead!
