East Kensington Elementary 22-23
OUR CONTEXT
"We all belong here."
East Kensington motto is "We all belong here."
Through daily outdoor learning experiences, children in the EKOLogy program develop a sense of wonder and gratitude in the beauty, diversity and complexity of the world to become environmentally and socially responsible people with a passion for lifelong learning. Children in our EKOLogy program spend time each day learning outside the classroom.
Our outdoor learning program:
- provides outdoor experiences that integrate B.C.'s curriculum with children's innate wonderings and curiosity.
- allows teachers to facilitate emergent, experiential, inquiry-based, play-based, and place-based learning.
- allows teachers to help children to identify, co-manage and navigate risk. Opportunities to experience risk are seen as an integral part of learning and healthy development.
- aligns with the First Peoples Principles of Learning.
- develops students' core competencies. Experiential learning in the outdoors fosters children's competencies as creative and critical thinkers, effective communicators, and people who are personally, socially and environmentally aware.
OUR LEARNERS
OUR LEARNERS
Social and emotional learning is a process in which children develop in their ability to use creative and critical thinking skills to be able to articulate their emotions in a healthy manner. Social Emotional Learning tools include recognizing and managing emotions, caring and creating positive relationships with others, making good decisions, and learning ethical and responsible views when it comes to decision making. Social Emotional Learning is embedded throughout the BC curriculum and is deeply woven within The First Peoples Principles of Learning. East Kensington learners understand that learning is holistic reflective, experiential and relational.
Our learners can think critically, have the ability to reflect on their actions and are able to have honest and clear forms of communication. This allows them to create a better understanding of themselves as well as their social responsibilities to each other, the school community and the environment in which they learn in.
In this photo, students and teachers brainstorm about the local environment and what seasonal patterns are occur throughout the school year. Students do daily observations, where they track the moon cycles, weather, calendar and changes they notices in the living ecosystems. Once a month, the class gathers to collaborate and bring awareness to the changes they have noticed. It opens up discussion and critical thinking practices for our students to better understand their social role and responsibility in the environment they live in.
In this photo, students were asked to observe, sketch and re-create a natural habitat they may find in the eco-system. Students worked on self-regulation, collaborative partnerships and creative thinking practices to show their learning and understanding. This student found a mindful space where they could sketch a bird habitat and then worked with a partner to gather natural materials to create what they believed the bird habitat would look like. The students then shared their inquiry and learning with other groups in the class.
OUR FOCUS
OUR FOCUS
East Kensington Elementary's focus is to build our school community so that all students feel positive about themselves as learners. Through reflective writing, oral storytelling and the use of meaningful children's literature, students will be able to name, regulate and understand their emotions and the causes and effects they have on themselves and others around them.
In our classrooms, students participate and contribute to Class Meetings, small group discussions about their feelings and how to solve problems peacefully. In addition, students have learned how to reflect upon their behaviour and are learning to take ownership of their actions.
A primary class during a morning class emotional check in meeting before they start their outdoor learning lesson. Students are reflecting on where they are on the "Mood Meter(photo below)" and if their emotions are different when they are inside vs outside.
In our primary classes, students learn about identifying how they feel and how to manage their emotions. In our classrooms, it is important for students to first be able to identify feeling words and explore a variety of strategies for self-regulation. Student self-reflection is a lifelong skill that helps students with their overall well-being and sense of identity. The intention is with ongoing practice, students will have more positive peer relations and the ability to problem solve when conflicts arise.
OUR NEXT STEPS
OUR NEXT STEPS
Our learners have made progress describing and assessing strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others in particular by identifying, articulating and managing their emotions. They have learned the importance of having a growth mindset to growing in this area.
Through the use of SEL literature, students are able to connect, and use written reflection practices to show their growth in understanding, verbalizing and connecting to their emotions. Below is in an example two student's reflections on where their emotions live, how their emotions look and their emotions feel like. They were able to connect and collaborate with their teacher and class through story and then tie it back to their own personal connection through writing.
Moving Forward
Intentionally teaching self-care through the lens of social-emotional learning has helped our students be far more articulate about their emotions and we have noticed that they are more able to regulate themselves as a result. Interactions with students and between students about their experiences have been noticeably more productive. Teachers have noticed that it is important to continue to revisit and reinforce these skills. As a result, we will focus on creating a whole school SEL common classroom practice by:
- building upon the vocabulary of emotional self-awareness and practices by using common language and protocols across grades in discussions, interactions, and meetings by implementing the use of RULER/Mood Meter practices in our classrooms: RULER-Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
- Meta Moment RULER.pdf
- Break Cards inspired by RULER.pdf
- Hosting a book club for the book "Permission to Feel" by Mark Brackett for staff and parent community.
Surrey Schools
Formed in 1906, the Surrey School District currently has the largest student enrolment in British Columbia and is one of the few growing districts in the province. It is governed by a publicly elected board of seven trustees.
The district serves the cities of Surrey and White Rock and the rural area of Barnston Island.
