Artist Response Team Storytelling

  From left to right: Matt Slykhuis (Rock Band); Kaitlyn Dempsey, Vivan Zeng (Stream Restoration); Michael Buhler (Rock Band); Sonja Wypkis (not shown.) The teachers at Imagine High made this program happen. Their love for their students is visible, evident and constantly on display.  "It was so amazing, I am so grateful for you and Kevin, and everybody involved in Good Medicine Songs! Thank you for being so willing to collaborate with our students and really showing them how they can make a difference in reconciliation. It was the perfect finale for their learning and even more impactful that they could share it with the community. We are honoured to have been able to work with you and Good Medicine Songs." (Kaitlyn Dempsey, teacher.)

  Students from Imagine High perform with Good Medicine Songs on June 21, 2023 At the concert, these beautiful young people were on stage, singing, speaking, giving and dedicating their energy to restoring streams, Halq’eméylem revitalization and reconciliation.  Paying respect and appreciation to the Stó:lō Elders, singers and language holders. This photo moves me to tears. All these students showed up. Some were just standing on stage, but they were there. So serious and sincere and beautiful.  After doing Voices of Nature school music programs for over 30 years, I know that having teenage youth choose to involve themselves, put themselves out publicly, is not something you can take for granted! Especially doing things that aren’t in their usual wheelhouse of activities… like singing publicly in a First Nations language. Yet it kept happening and building day after day, week after week during the seven rehearsals over two months at Imagine High.  Why? One reason ma...

  At the end of the concert, our community partners formed a circle, and shared their organizations' experiences in supporting this work. These partners include: Tire Stewardship BC, Interchange Recycling, SD 33 (Chilliwack) and the University of the Fraser Valley.  This was the first time we've had the opportunity to bring supporting partners physically together, and the experience the community we're creating together.

  Media Coverage for the Listen to the Stream Concert was extensive. Shaw Multicultural TV   Full broadcast of the hour-long concert. The Tyee   In-depth article featuring interviews with students, teachers, Good Medicine Songs language carriers APTN   Special feature on National News Chilliwack Progress   Feature article in print and online

  Connaught Heights Elementary Google Site

  Connaught Heights Elementary Google Site

  Stó:lō Nation missing children update Éy latelh to our dear Éy St'élmexw St'eltílém / Good Medicine Songs family It is with our hearts breaking for the pain and anguish that we know Stó:lō folks may be feeling today, anticipating the announcement to come about lost children at St Mary’s and Coqualeetza. We send you our love and support, and wishes that through this difficult time, the healing moves forward and onward. We hope that this transition brings us closer together, to support each other. Through our cleansing tears we see the light coming through the clouds —  Smestí:yexws te shxwexwós - Tawel teli te swayel Thunderbird spirit - lighting up the day Lets’e ó Sqwálewel - Unity We hold in our hearts that healing is happening for families and survivors. Our hearts are with you today. Ahot kwe’s tl’ils. Cover with love. Ahot kwe’s xolhmet. Cover with care.  With love, Holly & Kevin & Jenny

 

 

Voice of the Stream concert at Imagine High on National Indigenous Peoples' Day Here's a wonderful article in The Tyee online magazine. Writer Katie Hyslop has done a great job of weaving together the threads of language revitalization, stream restoration and reconciliation that make up the tapestry of the Voice of the Stream project. The Tyee Article about Voice of the Stream

  Listen to the Stream Concert at Imagine High in Chilliwack, 2023-06-21 Promo video for broadcast of Listen to the Stream on Shaw Multicultural on Sun June 25 @ 8:00PM Listen to the Stream/Xwelelam te Stótelō Concert was birthed today at Imagine High. Gratifying and exciting for the student to have the wider world paying attention. Jim Reis came and filmed, and by this afternoon had released this promo video. Thank you!

  Transformative education is happening today at Imagine High (Imagine High Integrated Arts and Technology Secondary School, Chilliwack, BC).  Since the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 school year there has been a groundbreaking collaboration for enriched, empowered and enhanced learning at the school. Administrators, teachers and students have been collaborating with knowledge keepers of the Stó:lō Nation, the Artist Response Team (Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright) and a stream restoration initiative led by S.A.Y. Lands (Skowkale, Aitchelitz, and Yakweakwioose First Nations). The students are having an unprecedented opportunity to learn about Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology Science and Music as active collaborators in their learning. They are writing songs, learning language, restoring a stream, and preparing to perform what they have learned and created for family and community. This initiative is not only providing the community at Imagine High to experience new dimensions of lea...

  Concert Poster: Listen To The Stream/Xwelelam te Stótelō IMAGINE HIGH INTEGRATED ARTS & TECHNOLOGY SECONDARY - Chilliwack, BC Listen to the Stream/Xwelelam te Stótelō - June 21, 2023 The world pays attention Yesterday we had the dress rehearsal in the Imagine High Theatre. As the early morning unfolds, it's like the phoenix rising from the ashes. Figuring out where everything and everyone is going to go--the 60+ students, the drums, the keyboards, the electric guitars, the bass, the djembe, the choral core singers, the introducers, the slide show, the cajons, Good Medicine Songs folks...etc, etc, etc. Everything is being done for the first time. Yet order emerges as the morning goes on. The media world is paying some attention. APTN was there filming the dress rehearsal. Katie Hyslop is publishing an article in The Tyee on Wednesday. Shaw Multicultural will be filming the concert tomorrow. The Chilliwack Progress ran an article. This feels right and good.  This media att...

  Seed trays prepared by students, for their courtyard garden CONNAUGHT HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - New Westminster, BC Rock The Salish Sea - May 16, 17, 18, 2023 Teddy talks about old growth trees Teddy and his classmates sang “Mr. Douglas”, our homage to old growth Douglas Fir trees in the Koksilah Ancient Forest on Vancouver Island. Students watched our video, that tells the story of how the song came to be.  Mr Douglas video It was inspired by a visit to the Forestry Centre in Duncan, where there is a cross section of a 1300-year-old tree. Signage points to the historical events that the tree had lived through. We wrote the song in “the first tree”; Mr. Douglas is the tree speaking. There is less than 1% of coastal old growth Douglas Fir forest left. Thank you Teddy, for speaking up for ancient trees…they are so important for biodiversity, and your future, and future generations. You did a wonderful job! “ I’ve been around since before Ghengis Khan, and the first book publ...

  Students farming worms for their courtyard flower and vegetable gardens CONNAUGHT HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - New Westminster, BC Rock The Salish Sea - May 16, 17, 18, 2023 Blog 3 - Ethan is a voice of nature Solar Angel is our renewable energy song. Ethan talks about the song and climate change. He responded to our invitation to do a “speakers’ corner” type of video. He went to all the trouble to take a media release form home, and returned with it, signed by his parents. His clear, calm, concise, heartfelt communication is an inspiration to me.  This mantra I share with young singers, over and over as I do these programs: “Your voices make a difference. You have a strong and effective influence in your families, schools and communities. You are doing an important job by standing up and singing with all your heart, for the Earth. Thank you for caring, and learning, and thinking, and singing, and speaking out, Ethan.  You are a voice of nature! Ethan speaks out for clim...

 Mason bee homes in Connaught courtyard garden CONNAUGHT – ROCK THE SALISH SEA! Project – May 16, 17, 18, 2023 Blog 2: Songs capture the feelings of how we love Earth We came into Connaught School, and from Day 1 all the students knew the song lyrics, the actions and sang with a particular fervour. That is so wonderful, because then we spend our time with the kids ramping up the performance level of everything we are doing together. When children are motivated, and they sing out, and they feel the power and energy of our collective voices…that’s when their little beings move more and more inside the songs. The music acquires power and they can feel it. Teacher Laurie Wong explains how the messages in the song amplify the experiences children having living around the courtyard garden, and tie it all together. Then the power of our collective voices reaches out to the upturned faces and hearts of family members eagerly receiving the benediction of seeing their children involved in so...

  Connaught students working in their garden courtyard CONNAUGHT - ROCK THE SALISH SEA PROJECT - May 16, 17. 18, 2023 Blog 1: Teachers are the front line of change! From the exterior, Connaught Heights Elementary is a one-story, grey school building. When you enter through the big gate, you come into a beautiful courtyard garden, filled with sunlight (on the days we were there), trees, planters with flowers and vegetables, mason bee homes and many bees buzzing around, birds calling, butterflies fluttering through. And this is a serious garden, the veggies are tended, growing well, healthy; the flowers are gorgeous. The K-5 children are constantly moving through the courtyard, running around, watering planters, or sitting on benches during daily quiet time–reading. It’s so peaceful to watch a child intently reading, outside, absorbed. I was told by many Connaught teachers that the person leading this effort is Laurie Wong. Thank you Laurie, for the love, energy and commitment you br...

“Here we are at the end of it all.” This morning I feel like Frodo and Bilbo when they got back to the Shire after all the tremendous work of their adventures. Last night (Thu Mar 9), we did the THIRD concert of the day—the 5th in two days. The school had to do multiple concerts to fit all the families in. Almost all of the students were there for the last show, there was very little attrition. We weren’t sure, we thought they might be too tired, being so little. But why does a young child show up? Because…they are energized? Having fun; Excited? I’m trying to find ways to convey the miraculous magic of everyday life in a school when 210 little souls choose to do something together. It moves mountains. ‘ “All we know is that sometimes a song, taking just a few minutes, can have as much impression on a listener as reading a whole novel can. A song is often a triumph of oversimplification.” - Pete Seeger, when asked about the power of music. Pete was, indeed, correct in saying that songs...

  Student's art decorates the piano.  The students incorporated the lyrics from the songs and their experience of learning and singing the songs into their artwork. One of the songs they sang was about an ancient old growth fir tree, "Mr. Douglas".  Learning the songs from the Voices of Nature program help the children understand what it means to be part of an ecology of life systems: watersheds, trees, and the Salish Sea. The lessons from the songs and singing together provide rich opportunities for the teachers to connect student's learning to their local habitats and climate.

  Palsson Elementary Parent Advisory Council (PAC) raffle - 2023-03-08 This afternoon, In the hall of the school, appeared tables laden with gift baskets filled with locally made, beautiful hand crafted items. Three women are tending the display like bees in a flower garden. The Parents of Palsson Elementary are raising money to support all kinds of programs for their kids, including concerts…true love in action! Palsson Elementary Google Site Page