Father Gamache Memorial School
About 350 students register in kindergarten to grade 12 at Father Gamache Memorial School, which opened in 1990. It offers the provincial core curriculum, enhanced by the integration of Dene teachings. Knowledge keepers Rita and Albert Adam teach culture in the school everyday while many other Elders from the community come at different times to teach Dene protocols and respect for all living things. Regular communal meals at the school are open to all who wish to attend. We strive to keep our Dene language alive as it reflects our ways of thinking about the world and our dependence upon the animal, plants, water and air.
This emphasis on educating our children in the Dene ways with learning that is relevant to their lives in the north, instills a sense of pride and belonging. The school provides teacher associates to support to students with special learning or medical needs to reach their full potential.
With a staff of 59, and operation of two buses and one of the largest facilities at the First Nation, Father Gamache Memorial School operates on a budget of about $276,000 per month. This is challenging as the winter power bill is $30,000 to $40,000 per month, bus fuel is $2.50 per litre and food prices are often 60% to 250% higher than in the south.
Principal Alex P. Mercredi
