Ross River School
Dahgáts’enehtān yéh gutie
We acknowledge and respect that Ross River School is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Ross River Dena Council.
Kaska Dena people have lived in over 240,000 square kilometres of land in the southeast Yukon, southern Northwest Territories, and north-western British Columbia for tens of thousands of years; long before both recorded history and the existence of provincial land and territorial borders.
Ross River, Yukon, home to the Ross River Dena Council, is situated near the confluence of the Ross and Pelly Rivers, near the Campbell Highway and the North Canol Road. Ross River is one of the two Kaska Dena communities located in Yukon.
No Bus Running! Please arrange student DROP OFF and PICK UP.
No Bus Running! Please arrange student DROP OFF and PICK UP.
A very special “Thank You” to all who so generously donated to our school food program!
We couldn’t do it without you…
Dena Council Social & Housing Departments
Ross River Dena Council
Snowline
Fireweed Metals
BMC
STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
Friday November 14th is Pajama Day!
***Reminder***
Picture Day
Monday November 17th
October 30, 2025
Dzenḗs gūtīe Parents, Ross River Dena Council, and Ross River community members,
Currently, at our school we have 3/6 teaching positions filled, and we have 2/6 Educational Assistant positions filled. Our staff are exhausted and can no longer facilitate food services and clean up for our learners starting as of Monday Nov,3, 2025. Since the beginning of the school year we have not had any cooking staff preparing food or clean up, other than the 3 weeks provided by YFNED. YFNED's support has been very much appreciated, and since the loss of Jordan's Principle funding, we are very grateful for the financial support that has come from Snowline, BCM, Fireweed and the RRDC that can provide food and 1 cooking position for the remainder of the year.
This means that in the intern, learners can either have their lunch at home, or if you send them with a ready to eat lunch they can eat it at the school. Learners in K-6 can be picked up by parents
YFNED posted the cooking position two weeks ago and we were very hopeful that someone would fill position. They are also willing to help support a new cook with training, as there are several ways in which we can provide basic food that requires less preparation to start, while continuing to expand the food services to what it once was.
We are looking forward to a resolution.
Sṓgá sénlāʼ
Carter Cox Principal Tu Lidlini Kets Edih Koa Ross River School First Nations School Board (867) 335-9895 Carter.Cox@Yukon.ca Home of the Wolverines "Nogha"
School Calendar
Ross River School
Our calendar is structured to reflect cultural ways of knowing and doing.
The school year starts in late August and students have multiple extended breaks throughout the year to to spend time with their families while engaging in cultural activities.
School Growth Plan
-
Literacy
Teachers are mandated to implement the ELA curriculum emphasizing reading accuracy and comprehension using UFLI for K to Grade 3, Spellography and other sources for higher grades, ensuring that each lesson must have connection to Kaska culture and tradition.
-
Numeracy
Ross River School’s numeracy approach focuses on goals of reasoning and analyzing, understanding and solving, communicating and representing, connecting and reflecting, and incorporating Kaska worldviews and perspectives to make connections to mathematical concepts.
-
Whole child
All staff are currently working on designing the learning in their classrooms around Kaska Culture. As educators we are using Kaska Culture to guide the learning in the classroom by implementing the curriculum to the culture.
-
Land & language
We aim to start each school year on the land. Teachers will be required to spend time on the land with the community, bringing the curriculum to the culture.
We are excited to welcome Carter Cox as the new Principal of Ross River School
Carter was born in Saskatchewan to fourth-generation homesteaders of European ancestry. His parents are currently retired and living outside of Jasper National Park, while the rest of the family in Saskatchewan continues to farm, rodeo, and play hockey. Carter and his wife, Kristen, are the proud grandparents of their 3-year-old granddaughter and of their two sons and their families.
Carter started as an educator with Alberta Parks and Parks Canada, developing and delivering natural and cultural history programs prior to running Science Education at the Royal Ontario Museum. As a trained palaeontologist, Carter started his own adventure learning business, which was the only company permitted to guide in Dinosaur Provincial Park. After having the privilege of teaching at a remote First Nations school on Vancouver Island, Carter then taught in Calgary and developed a very successful High School Outdoor and Environmental Science program.
After taking a year off to produce a film—which was nominated at the Seattle Film Festival for Best Short Environmental Documentary—Carter returned from Nepal to start a Junior High Agriculture Program. Now retired from the Calgary Board after 22 years, Carter has spent time as an educational consultant, a professional development presenter, and a principal guest teacher in rural Alberta. He is currently working on his next film, Chasing Mongolian Dinosaur Poachers.
Carter is thrilled to have the opportunity to become a small part of the Ross River community and hopes you will be patient with him as he learns Dene.
Welcome, Carter!
