‘Back to school’ means big changes for teens from the North

By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter  05/09/2024 17:04 WUNNUMIN LAKE – Wednesday was back-to-school day for the young learners at John George Martin Memorial School, where about 150 children and youth are enrolled in kindergarten to Grade 10. “I was surprised,” said Tommy Sainnawap, the school’s education director. “Every classroom was packed. They were all looking forward to going back to school.” This year’s student rolls include more than 30 in the ninth and 10th grades, he said. After Grade 10, those students will have to leave the Oji-Cree community if they want to get high school diplomas. Grade 10 is the end of the line in on the Wunnumin Lake First Nation reserve, so students finish secondary schooling in Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay or another urban setting. It’s…

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