Kainai High School on the Blood reserve in Standoff Alberta is looking forward to this year’s graduation when 13 students will receive diplomas, a happy increase from 4 years ago, when just one student finished high school. The increase is attributed to a number of changes that the school has undergone in the last 4 years, including mandatory exercise to begin every school day, a 4-quarter school year with 2 classes per quarter, and Blackfoot language and culture classes. The school has seen marked improvement in areas of literacy and overall attendance, and Principal Annette Bruised Head hopes next year’s graduation will see even higher numbers of diplomas awarded. Calgary Herald    Image