Echo Dene School in Acho Dene Koe

Our community of Acho Dene Koe and our School

The school was built in 1987 and is situated in Fort Liard, Northwest Territories. Fort Liard is a community of approximately 600 residents situated in a valley just off the beautiful Fort Liard River: two hours north of Fort Nelson, British Columbia. Echo Dene School is named after the tribe that inhabited this area.

Echo Dene School has approximately one hundred twenty students from JK-12. Our rigorous academic and cultural programs are complemented by a variety of athletic and after school programs including soccer, traditional games, basketball, fitness club, cooking club and archery club. Echo Dene School also provides E-learning for our high school students as part of our academic program to provide access to a greater variety of course offerings.

Our Vision

At Echo Dene School we aim to create a learning environment where all students feel safe, happy, and included. We understand that students have a range of social and academic needs and abilities. Therefore, we endorse a culture of catering for individual needs through rigorous social intervention and through rigorous curriculum that is culturally relevant, differentiated, and inclusive. All our students are encouraged to achieve their personal best. Parents and the community are valued partners in the education of our students and will continue to work together with staff to ensure that all students are successful. Literacy and Numeracy are specifically targeted, with 50% of teaching time devoted to best practice teaching and learning programs and emphasis on a whole school approach to planning and learning. Echo Dene’s staff are dedicated and professional. We expect high standards from staff and students and constantly strive for higher levels of achievement

Our Beliefs

Staff at Echo Dene School believe students are more likely to reach their potential when:

• Echo Dene staff work collaboratively to engage students in purposeful, meaningful learning experiences that enable students to reach their full potential.
• Staff know the students, their likes and interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Teachers demonstrate their knowledge of the content and use evidence-based on whole school pedagogy.
• We believe students should feel safe, encouraged, and respected within the school environment.
• Staff at Echo Dene take holistic approach to meet the needs of individual students.
• The Dene Laws, language and culture are acknowledged and valued at Echo Dene School.

Our Values

Our values provide a foundation for building social responsibility and a sense of belonging through collaboration with students, family, school and the community of Fort Liard. We demonstrate our values through:

• Honour
• We demonstrate our values though respecting the Dene Laws.
• Pride
• Showing in your school through environmental stewardship.
• Showing belief, care and respect for ourselves, others, and the Dene culture.
• Achievement
• Striving to do your personal best and fulfilling your potential.

Our Staff