Once again, the servery at John Paul II Collegiate was the setting for the annual Braided Journey program Christmas dinner on Wednesday.
The Braided Journey program is aimed at Indigenous and Métis students at the high school with a view towards improving attendance and attitude, and boosting graduation rates.
The annual dinner was started in 2014 as a way to include Indigenous students and families in school life, and for staff to get to know them in a positive setting and build positive relationships. The dinner took a year off in 2018 but came back in a big way in 2019, with over 200 people estimated to attend.
As grad coach Shalen Fox said, this particular event wasn’t about school or grades, but instead was the program’s way to give back to students during the holiday season.
“This is our chance for our school and families to just interact on a social setting rather than always about academics and things,” Fox said.
It started with the blessing of the food and traditional drumming, followed by the meal prepared by the families and served to the large group of students and family members in attendance.
Photos by John Cairns
