'It means the world' to see children graduate from Thompson pre-K head start program, parents say

Little children proudly clasped certificates of graduation and twirled tassles around their fingers at a ceremony to mark their readiness to enter kindergarten in Thompson, Man., on Thursday.

Thirty-six students in the northern city's Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre graduated from New Beginnings, also known as the Aboriginal Head Start program. 

"We're just so excited and proud of all the hard work and dedication that went into this. Parental involvement is at an all-time high, so we love that," Katie Nachbaur, who oversees the program, said before the ceremony.

New Beginnings equips children with basic skills before they enter school, including identifying numbers and letters, but also understanding routine and simple health concepts.

"It's a stepping stone to help them ease the transition into the school system," Nachbaur said.

The federal government initially funded a cross-Canada Aboriginal Head Start program as a pilot project in 1995 to help offer First Nations, Inuit, Métis and non-status children better support at a preschool age to help drive their self-esteem and a desire for learning, allowing them to develop fully as young people.

Nachbaur says Ottawa continues to fund New Beginnings.

Rooted in traditional teachings

The New Beginnings program is deeply rooted in Indigenous teachings. Children learn simple Cree words and are taught to take pride in their culture.

Before the graduation day, families came together and made each child either a ribbon skirt or shirt to wear at the ceremony — a symbol of their achievement.

Stephanie Martin's five-year-old daughter Willow Balfour was among the graduates, and Martin says the ceremony made her emotional.

"I'm just so proud of her, how much she's grown and made so many friends and learned her Indigenous teachings and like learning Cree words and just how many bonds she's made in this program," she said.

Willow says she wants to be a doctor or a nurse when she grows up.

Robert Spence says it "means the world" that his son graduated from the program.

He credits the program for helping his son learn Cree words.

"He surprises me and he learns new words every day, so he comes home and he speaks a new word and I'm like, 'Where did you learn that from?' I think he's just gonna learn a lot when he's in school," Spence said.

Nachbaur says the program makes a big difference for the children when they enter school.

"We have talked to numerous kindergarten teachers throughout the school district as well as our satellites that always indicate they can tell which children came to Head Start and which ones didn't. They see the fundamentals of early learning already instilled in them," she said.

Sixteen more children who attend a similar head start program at Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre's other location in Thompson, as well as a location in Wabowden, about an hour south of Thompson, will also be graduating next week, Nachbaur said.