This September, ages 6 to 8 will now have their very own program; Little Bears “Makoonsag”. The program is an off-shoot of the popular program; Learning Always.

The Learning Always program has been running twice each week for grades 2-6 for several years at Rossbrook House. The participants sign up for a three-month commitment and meet every Monday and Wednesday after school to get homework help, and also learn math, spelling and reading skills.

Creating activities that worked well for the range of grades was challenging and the younger children were eager to join too. “The younger kids were asking to join, they want to be like the big kids”, said Learning Always Coordinator Sheila Chippastance. “I knew that I had to design a program that was better suited for the grades one and two kids.”

The participants will be learning math, spelling and reading skills. The program will include cultural activities led by two Indigenous Elders. It will run Tuesdays after school and Saturday afternoons.

The Little Bears “Makoonsag” program will include the use of the OneBillion app which focuses on math skills for ages 3 and up. The OneBillion program delivers educational apps and devices to children in developing countries. Little Bears “Makoonsag” is a perfect group to take advantage of this software.

The Chipman Family Foundation gifted Rossbrook House with 10 new iPads specifically for this use, and to help Rossbrook House with its goal of encouraging children to appreciate education.

 “We’re really excited to see how the 6 and 7 year olds do with this new math app,” said Executive Director Phil Chiappetta. “We’re very grateful to the Chipman Family Foundation for the generous gift.”

 The Learning Always program will continue for ages 9 to 11 beginning September 10, running three months at a time, three times a year. The Little Bears “Makoonsag” program launches September 11 and will run twice weekly.

Makoonsag is the plural word for bear cub in Ojibway.