Sturgeon Lake First Nation
Head Start Program
“Our Children, Our Future”
Encourage Thoughtfulness
Encourage thoughtfulness and reflection about how to ensure that this is a comfortable place for Aboriginal people to be who they are.
Our Vision
We believe that each child is a gift from the Creator. We believe each child has unique gifts and talents.
Here at Sturgeon Lake First Nation Head Start, we respect parents as a child’s first and most important teacher. It is our belief that through active involvement of families we will be able to offer the best programming possible to enhance these gifts and talents.
Resources
Our Philosophy
Children’s early experiences set the foundation for all areas of learning and development. As a community, we all play a role in giving kids a strong, healthy start.
Optimizing the early years is the best investment we can makes as a community in ensuring their future success. Our intent is to provide a warm, loving, and inviting environment where children learn and develop through age-appropriate play and exploration. The program is designed to meet the needs of children in all areas of development: social, physical, intellectual, cognitive, and emotional.
Head Start programming takes a holistic approach which emphasizes the needs of the child through six components.
Click or tap an icon in the blue section below to learn more about each component.
Culture & Language
The purpose of the Culture and Language component is to provide children with a positive sense of themselves as Aboriginal children and to build on the children’s knowledge of their Aboriginal languages and experience of culture in their communities. More specifically, Projects will enhance the process of cultural and language revival and retention, with the ultimate goal that, where possible, children will aspire to learn their respective languages and participate in their communities’ cultures after AHS.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
Social Support
The purpose of the Social Support Component is to ensure that the families are made aware of resources and community services available to impact their quality of life. The Project will assist the families to access resources and community services. This may mean that the Project will work in cooperation with the service providers. The ultimate goal of this component is to empower parents to access assistance and services which will support them to be active participants in their children’s lives and AHS.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
1. develop a list of collaborative service providers, e.g. local, regional, provincial and national organizations, groups and individuals.
2. identify the need for and facilitate the provision of social support to Aboriginal children and their families. Methods of social support could include:
- providing referrals
- implementing family needs assessments
- utilizing community outreach programs
- providing community resource information
- providing emergency assistance information
- providing crisis intervention information
3. involve local service providers in projects which could include:
- Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) projects
- Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) projects
- Aboriginal or other child and family services crisis centres
- drug and alcohol treatment centres
- friendship centres
- health centres or hospitals
- Métis organizations
- Aboriginal housing
- Aboriginal women’s centres
- parent resource centres
- toy lending libraries
- schools
Education
The purpose of the Education Component is to support and encourage each Aboriginal child to enjoy life-long learning. More specifically, the Projects will encourage each child to take initiative in learning and provide each child with enjoyable opportunities to learn. This will be done in a manner which is appropriate to both the age and stage of development of the child. The ultimate goal is to engage children in the possibility of learning so that they carry forth the enthusiasm, self-esteem and initiative to learn in the future.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
- provide the child with a learning environment and varied experiences which will contribute to his/her physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual and social development.
- focus on early childhood development, including physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual and social development;
- foster a desire for life-long learning in the child;
- develop the school readiness of the child in the following areas:
- physical well-being and appropriate motor development;
- emotional health and a positive approach to new experiences;
- social knowledge and competence;
- language skills;
- general knowledge and cognitive skills; and
- spiritual well-being.
Nutrition
The purpose of the Nutrition Component is to ensure that children are provided with food which will help meet their nutritional needs, and to educate staff and parents about the relationship of nutrition to children’s ability to learn, physical development and mental development. Mealtimes provide opportunities for sharing, teaching and socializing. The ultimate goal is to empower children and parents to develop or enhance nutritional eating habits that will be maintained following the children’s AHS experience.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
Parent Engagement
The purpose of the Parental and Family Involvement Component is to support the parents’ and family’s role as children’s primary teachers. The parents and family will be acknowledged as contributors to the program through involvement with a parent body or participation in and/or contribution to classroom activities. This component provides the opportunity to empower parents to bring forth their unique abilities and further develop as role models for children and in their communities. The ultimate goal is for parents and caregivers to complete the program being more confident, and assertive and having a deeper understanding of their children than when they began the program.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
Health Promotion
The purpose of the Health Promotion Component is to empower parents, guardians, caregivers and those involved with AHS to increase control over and improve their health. More specifically, the Project will encourage practices for self care, working together to address health concerns, and the creation of formal and informal social support networks. The ultimate goal is for those involved with AHS to take actions that contribute to holistic health.
Aboriginal Head Start projects will:
Program Goals
- 1. To meet the child’s needs for physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual care.
- 2. To provide a safe place for young children to learn and grow in a loving and engaging atmosphere.
- 3. To provide a healthy environment which fosters personal and physical growth.
- 4. To provide consistent behavioural practices which reflect First Nations cultural practices.
- 5. To respect and encourage each child’s creativity and individuality.
- 6. To encourage the development of oral language; the First Nations language of the community as well as the English language.
- 7. To promote cultural awareness and a sense of community.
- 8. To reinforce appropriate behaviours and social skills through positive role models.
Our Staff
Leanne Demerais
Amanda Sanderson
