"The way to be seen from a particular place"
Contact
Email: afterschoolcare@echenhealing.ca
Phone: 250-255-8942
Vision
The spirit of Indigenous children and families in our community is nurtured to love, laugh, play, and achieve interpersonal manners. Their unique cultural traditions are recognized and valued within a safe, respectful community.
Mission
The afterschool program educators walk the children in love, honor, and respect to learn, sharing our identity and nurturing a learning environment based on our values and culture representation. We foster a view, where children value the way to be seen from a particular place.
Values
We are dedicated to make positive changes through motivation, consisting of the family diversity and community strengthening the positive behaviour and character of each child.
Spirit
Spirit is containing wonder, curiosity and joy. By doing science experiments consisting of the 5 senses, we can help nurture wonder, curiosity, and joy in children.
Wonder can help children find hope and see positive things in life, regardless of challenges and difficulties. Wonder opens our eyes to all extraordinary things and events that happen in the world around them.
Curiosity drives kids to try new things. Strong curiosity gives children confidence to try new things. Trying new things opens new worlds to your child. Curiosity brings excitement to life.
Joy impacts the growing brain. Every time children experience joy, the pathways in their brains that are dedicated to feeling this positive emotion grow stronger.
Manners
Having manners is to say please and thank you, respect ourselves, others and the environment around us, listening, compassionate and being helpful to others. Manners are like a set of rules that help us show respect and kindness to others. It’s like using “please” and “thank you” when we ask for something or receive something. Manners also include saying “excuse me” when we need someone attention or need to pass by someone. It’s important to teach children to be polite and listen when others are speaking while being compassionate. Helping others because it’s the right and nice thing to do. Respecting ourselves, other people and the environment that surrounds us. Manners make interaction with others more pleasant and show that we care about other feelings. Manners are a great life skill for children to learn and have through their years.
Play & Exercise
Play and exercise are super fun and important for our bodies and minds! When we play, we do activities that make us happy and help us learn and grow. It can be yoga, Zumba or gross motor games containing running, jumping, dancing or dramatic play. Exercise is a type of play that makes our bodies strong and healthy with the movements of our muscles becoming stronger and building our physical abilities, coordination and balance. Play is not only for fun, but it’s also a way for children to explore their imagination, develop their creativity and learn important social skills. Both play and exercise help us feel energized, make new friends, develop strong friendships and enjoy ourselves. Encouraging children to play and exercise regularly sets them up for a happy and healthy lifestyle!
Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity is like having a big, colorful tapestry made up of different threads and colours. It means that there are many different cultures, traditions, and the way of life. But every culture is not the same and has unique differences. Its important to teach children that diversity is a beautiful thing and that we should respect and appreciate everyone’s differences. Cultural diversity for children is to practice their individual beliefs and spirituality by a group approach, that way they can share with others. Practicing fun activities such as ceremonial drumming, storytelling, singing, storytelling and crafts. These fun activities promote knowledge transfer between children.
Strengths
At ECHEN, we are dedicated to make positive changes with a vision of family health, community well-being, and cultural prosperity.
Truth
To know of these things is to know the truth. Responding truthfully when asked about a situation and sharing important information with trusted people around you. Encouraging children to feel comfortable in telling the truth. Being truthful during situations will help the child to their gain strengths. For children being truthful they can have this strength for the rest of their lives.
Honesty
To walk through life with integrity is to know honesty. Implies a refusal to lie, steal or deceive in any way. Honesty provides integrity and integrity is the quality of being honest and implies trustworthiness. Helps boost the confidence of children. We can demonstrate honesty constantly through day-to-day interactions.
Courage
To face life with courage is to know bravery. We strive for the courage to do the right things even in the most difficult times. Strength of mind to carry on despite danger or difficulty. Courage comes in many different forms, many of them non-aggressive like being nice and “uncool”, Infront of fellow classmates. Courage provides us bravery and helps build positive experiences by completing the most difficult class.
Respect
To honour all of creation is to have respect. we honour and respect our ancestors, our families and our Elders. Respect is being kind to yourself, others and the environment that surrounds you. When explaining respect to children, it’s important to teach them about empathy and understanding. Encourage them to listen to others, use kind words, and be mindful of others personal bubble. Let the children know that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and fairness. Lead by example.
Wisdom
To cherish knowledge is to know wisdom. We cherish the wisdom of our Elders who guide us, their understanding, patience, and good sense gained through years of struggles and accomplishments. Wisdom is like having a lot of knowledge and experience. It’s about making good choices and learning from our mistakes. When teaching children about wisdom, you can tell them that it’s like being a smart problem-solver and using what you know to make good decisions.
Humility
To accept yourself as a sacred part of creation is to know humility. Humility is when someone doesn’t think they are better than others. It’s like being humble and recognizing that everyone is gold and deserves respect. How we can explain having humility to children is not bragging about our achievements and being willing to learn from others. Encouraging children to be kind, listen to others and appreciate everyone’s unique qualities that make them, themselves.
Love
To know love is to know peace. Love is a special feeling that makes you care about someone deeply. It’s like having a warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart. You can explain to children that love is when you show kindness, support and affection towards others. Its being there for someone and making them feel happy and valued. Love can be between family members, friends, environment and even pets. To truly love is to know peace.