—Photo by Vanda Rufli, Wild Rose Colony School, Palliser Regional Division
Teaching at a Hutterian colony school is a unique and challenging experience. In Alberta, more than 170 certificated teachers work in one-room colony schools located on colony property, in culturally specific communities, with families and students from kindergarten to Grade 9. For many of the students, English is a second language. Teachers employed in the 163 Dariusleut and Lehrerleut colony schools have the challenge of working within Alberta Education’s parameters and remaining sensitive to Hutterian culture.
To familiarize colony teachers and administrators with Hutterian colony school governance and culture, colony school teachers Rob Ficiur, Vanda Rufli and Craig Whitehead developed Creating Inclusive School Communities for Hutterite Students—A Handbook for Colony Teachers and Administrators. The 30-page handbook was published with a $3,000 grant from the ATA Educational Trust. Copies of the handbook are available from the ATA library, located in Barnett House, in Edmonton.
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