Welcome to the Aboriginal Head Start web site for the Northwest Territories :)

Hay River AHS
Dezoa Undaa Gogah Goghaonete
Hay River Reserve Aboriginal Head Start Centre
Box 3055
Hay River, NT, X0E 1G4
Tel: (867) 874-6548
Fax: (867) 874-3678
email

Welcome to the Dezoa Undaa Gogah Goghaonete
website. The Aboriginal Head Start Centre is located
on theHay RiverReserve, just 20 kilometres from the
Town of HayRiver in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

Our center opened June 1997. At present, we have
approximately 34 Aboriginal children enrolled in the
two half-dayprograms. There are three different groups
that engage in the two half-day programs. Our program
begins earlySeptember and ends in June each year
with a graduationceremony.

Three staff members deliver and administer the
Aboriginal Head Start program: Leonie Vermillion, the
Bus Driver, Classroom and Administrative Assistant;
Roseanne Tourangeau, the Classroom Assistant
Trainee; and Nancy Lafleur,the Teacher
and South Slavey Language/Dene Traditional and
Cultural Instructor.

For the past six years, South Slavey cultural events
and activities are planned throughout the year. The
children set snares in the woods, pick berries to make
jam, and identify the different types of plants that are
used to treat certain ailments. Or we go sliding,cook
hot dogs and marshmallows outside on a nice day.

We are fortunate to have elders available to teach
the kids how to cook and prepare traditional foods or
make traditional clothing. Depending on the time of year,
they may come in to show the kids how to pluck ducks,
make dry fish or dry meat, skin rabbits; skin and cut up
caribou, moose or beaver; bead, make drums or rattles.
Some of the women elders demonstrate how to sew
mitts andslippers out of caribou or moosehide and tell
stories and legends at the same time.

To get a better picture of the positive impact the
Aboriginal Head Start program is having on our children,
we
present this mini-photo album to showcase that success.

PM
1:30 - 1:45 Arrival/Free Play
1:45 - 2:00 Circle
2:00 - 2:15 Snack
2:15 - 3:05 Craft/Art/Group Activity
3:15 - 3:15 Free Play
3:15 - 3:20 Clean up/Home

CHILDREN'S RESPONSE

What do you like the best about coming to this school?

Starr: I like to play in the kitchen. I learned how to write my name.
Shalaine: I like to play in the kitchen and do puzzles. I learned how to use the computer.
Benita: I learned how to use the computer. I like to play games on the computer and go to the gym.
Kendra: I like to play dress up. I learned how to do crafts.
Kierra: I like to do puzzles. I learned how to sing the ABC's song.
Ashley: I like to play with the dolls. I am learning how to write my name.
Savannah: I learned how to use the computer and how to play games on it. I like going to the gym.
Tia: I like to play in the kitchen and going to the gym. I learned how to write my name.
Corey: I like to play with the Lego. I learned how to use the computer.

What did you learn to do this year that was the most fun?

Daniel: I like the Lego with wheels and going sliding. I learned about bears and what they eat. I learned Slavey.
Karly: I like to go on the computer. I learned how to make a necklace. I learned Slavey.
Roger: I like to play with the tinker toys, going to the gym and sliding. I learned my shapes and colors.
Jesse: I like doing crafts. I learned how to make rabbits.
Kjel: I like the leo. I am learning how to write my name.
Justin: I like the computer and I like to go sliding. I learned how to write my name and learned my colors in Slavey.
Josylyn: I like to play pretend with my friends and sliding. I learned how to write my name.
Madison: I like circle time. I learned to sing songs and I can say my body parts in Slavey.
Jonnelle: I like the puzzles and sliding. I learned to make different crafts.
Reilly: I like the tinker toys and I learned how to make a plan with them.
Thomas: I like the log building set and I like playing in the gym. I learned how to make crafts.
Calvin: I like the computer. I learned how to say body parts, colors in Slavey.
Morgan: I like to play dress up. I am learning to write my name.
Lakeisha: I like to go sliding. I learned how to use the computer.
Julie: I like to play with my friends. I like to play on the playground.
Chantelle: I like to play int eh kitchen with my friends. I learned words in Slavey.
Skylar: I like to go sliding and playing on the playground. I learned how to make crafts.