The Ron Merasty Memorial Award was presented by Ron's daughter Bailey to Drayden Derocher. The award went to the student who showed the most growth and development in their studies during the school year. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

FDFN Awards

Flying Dust First Nation recognizes students successes with awards night

Jun 27, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Flying Dust students were applauded and celebrated by their community for their hard work in school for the past year.

Flying Dust First Nation held a student recognition night in the gymnasium on June 26 and gave out several awards and gifts to the students.

Jenna Desjarlais said she’s surprised she received multiple awards. She received awards in highest academic, outstanding attendance and student of the year.

“I didn’t think I was going to get awards,” Desjarlais said. “I had a feeling I was going to get an attendance award but I didn’t know I was going to get the other awards.”

Desjarlais said she felt proud getting the awards in front of her band and family.

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Jenna Desjarlais (right) and Avery Sinclair (middle) received the Bella Gervais Memorial Award. The award was given to the student of the year who excelled in all aspects of school. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

The student recognition night started two years ago and awards have been named after members of Flying Dust who made an impact to the community in different ways. Connie Derocher, councillor for Flying Dust First Nation, said the awards have more impact on the kids because of the close connections between community members.

“The awards we present are quite unique, they’re unique to our community and these are individuals that the families and the students can relate to,” Derocher said. “They know who these individuals are and what they’re about.”

Students who received an attendance awards were also rewarded with a trip to Lloydminster in July.

Not only were students recognized for their hard work but teachers and support staff were also awarded. The bus drivers received gifts and Tammy Mutch from Jonas Samson Junior High, Jana Ross from Gateway Elementary and Curtis Paylor from Carpenter High School were awarded with the students’ choice award for favourite teacher.

The night was also a celebration of the changes coming to the Kopahawakenum School in Flying Dust. In September, students from Flying Dust moving into Grade 8 will be going back to Kopahawakenum School as opposed to going to a school in Meadow Lake.

“A lot of kids when they do their K to [Grade] 4 here at Kopahawakenum and they transition to town a lot of times a majority of the students do wish that our school went up to a higher grade,” Derocher said.

The changes has been in the works for a long time and the plan is to eventually make Kopahawakenum a kindergarten to Grade 9 school.

“I know a lot of students will be happy coming back to Kopahawakenum,” Derocher said.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov