Learning about learning

Photo: Editor Pieta Woolley’s silkie chicken Lady Whistledown. These feisty birds were hatched by Katrin Glenn on Texada Island. (She also makes Texada Big Leaf Maple Syrup , so Katrin basically has the cornerstone on qathet’s best stuff.)

EDITOR'S MESSAGE

PIETA WOOLLEY

Abby Francis, who has spent the past year as qathet Living’s Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, writing about salmon, reconciliation, government, and so much more, left us in August. At barely 19, she is off to BCIT to take the broadcast journalism course.

I’m excited for her future; I know she’ll havea remarkable career, and make a big impact. She’s sharp, insightful,hard-working, curious, motivated, funny, and can see both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canada clearly.

Watching her grow over the past year into someone who can produce a work such as Ghost Salmon has given me some of the most satisfying moments in my working life. It’s given me a small glimpse into why teachers work so hard for their students.

Back to school time is a unique moment to think about our lifelong roles as both teachers and students, as painting instructor Rick Cepella does in his reflections on his adult students. And, to critically reflect on what COVID has meant for a whole generation of young learners, as Speech Language Pathologist Lora Baker does.

As a terrible gardener, I’m looking forward to this year’s Fall Fair, to be inspired by the master growers. I know growing thriving fruit and vegetables can happen here, because other people in this community are doing it. Alas.

Finally, the upcoming civic election gives us the chance to speak and listen – to teach and learn – about what matters in our community.

What a remarkable September for education.