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Ashmont celebrates Education Week with art and song

Ashmont School focused on fostering children’s creativity during its Education Week celebrations earlier this month, bringing in Métis artist Heather Shillinglaw to work with students.

Ashmont School focused on fostering children’s creativity during its Education Week celebrations earlier this month, bringing in Métis artist Heather Shillinglaw to work with students.

Shillinglaw is an internationally featured artist with pieces being showcased at exhibitions across Canada, and even overseas in Europe. Her art is biologically and environmentally focused, spreading awareness of pollution and other threats to the environment.

Shillinglaw has visited the area before, as she has spent time at Onchaminahos School in Saddle Lake, but during Education Week, May 2 to 6, she spent the week with Ashmont Elemtary School students.

“I’ve taught art since 1996, teaching all ages from pre-school kids all the way up to seniors. It was a great week and I think all of the kids really enjoyed learning about art and the environment around them,” said Shillinglaw, who noted each class had a project based on the environment and preservation. “For the younger K to 3 classes, we focused mainly on ecological landscapes, and Grades 4 to 6, we did more intense landscape studies.”

Assistant principal Candice Houle says the school’s success coach Andrea Scott was pivotal in putting the Education Week events together.

“She really did an amazing job and we can’t thank her enough. It was great having Heather come in here and connect with the students. She presented art to the students as a way to express themselves, and you could tell that many of the students were opening up their minds.”

“That is important to the mental health of these students and art is just another tool they can use. It was a great opportunity to connect the art with mental health and the environment.”

Shakoyiah Gladue, a Grade 4 student in Ashmont had only good things to say about her school, following the celebration.

“We are so lucky to have Ms. Shillinglaw here, and even luckier to have Mrs. Scott here everyday. I love our school.”

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