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SANDY-MARTINELL JONES
Lori Latrielle, a program assistant at Westlock Elementary School, sculpted a totem pole using plasticine. Each student contributed a square to the quilt that hangs behind the totem pole, which represents the beauty of diversity.
Just inside the front door at Westlock Elementary School (WES) stands a beautiful piece of art—a totem pole sculpted from Plasticine and coated with lacquer. The masterpiece, created in 2012 by program assistant Lori Latrielle, was the brainchild of Coordinator of Inclusive Practice Shirley Craig and the First Nations Métis Inuit (FMNI) Liaison at the time, Pamela Griffiths.
“We wanted to find a way to integrate the school’s Virtues program and FMNI seven sacred teachings,” explains Craig. “A totem pole provided the perfect answer.” Each virtue is represented on the totem pole by a corresponding animal: empathy (eagle), respect and responsibility (buffalo), self-control (bear), honesty (turtle), perseverance (beaver), acceptance (wolf) and kindness (fish).
“Lori is an incredibly creative individual, and the totem pole is such a beautiful piece,” says Sandy Martinell-Jones, a Grade 6 teacher at WES. The sculpture serves as a creative and constant reminder of the school’s commitment to using the virtues to guide student, teacher and parent interactions. “We believe that the first inroad to creating an inclusive school community is to model the virtues at all times,” says Martinell-Jones. ❚
