Released on October 18, 2017
Sacred Heart Community School’s youngest students helped the Government of Saskatchewan re-launch Help Me Tell My Story in Moose Jaw today.
Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Greg Lawrence on behalf of Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre, with the help of an engaging turtle puppet named Askî, read the first of four storybooks to kick off the re-launch.
Help Me Tell My Story (HMTMS) is a holistic and interactive tool that is used to measure the oral language development of a child. It is based on First Nations and Métis content and knowledge, and helps improve our understanding of early learners in Saskatchewan, in order to set them up for future success. HMTMS is available to every Prekindergarten and Kindergarten child in the province.
“Ensuring equitable outcomes and improved student achievement for First Nations and Métis students is a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan,” Lawrence said. “Help Me Tell My Story aids teachers, school divisions and the ministry to better support Saskatchewan students from the very start of their school careers by assessing their oral language development through an engaging, interactive and comprehensive approach rooted in First Nations and Métis learning perspectives.”
HMTMS was first launched in 2011 and was deferred for the 2016-17 school year in order to redesign, stabilize and update the suite of products, which includes an iPad app, portals and public website. During the 2015-16 school year, 4,900 students from 116 schools participated in HMTMS; of these, 1,691 self-declared as First Nations or Métis.
“Help Me Tell My Story has been adopted by all of our division’s early learning teachers because it provides a great resource for supporting emergent literacy, and students eagerly welcome Askî into their classrooms,” Holy Trinity Catholic Schools Director of Education Geri Hall said. “Our teachers tell marvelous stories about their children interacting with Askî. We are very pleased that the Ministry of Education has continued to support and promote this excellent resource for our teachers and students.”
HMTMS aligns with the Education Sector Strategic Plan by addressing early years goals, family engagement, improving First Nations and Métis student engagement, graduation rates and a holistic approach to education consistent with culturally-relevant teaching practices.
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For more information, contact:
Chris Hodges
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1069
Email: chris.hodges@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-533-7506