James Ardiel Elementary 22-23
OUR CONTEXT
James Ardiel is a school rich with history and tradition with a diverse community of learners, staff and stakeholders. James Ardiel is located in North Surrey squeezed between the historic communities of Boulevard Heights and Whalley. James Ardiel overlooks the mighty Fraser River with a direct view of the North Shore Mountains.
Currently our enrollment is at 430 students in grade K through 7. We also host a StrongStart program to assist our families in supporting their transition to school. Our learners are from a diverse background both socio-economically and culturally. We have multi-generational families that have had their families call James Ardiel home over many years.
We have a strong Aboriginal population of 57 learners, Special Needs Designated students compromised of 63 students and 178 English Language Learners. This rich diversity adds to the strength of our school.
Programs such as; Ready, Set, Learn; Sticks and Stars; Blast; Welcome to K; and the Aboriginal focused Bannock and Books play a vital role in our school.
OUR LEARNERS
At James Ardiel, the staff recognizes that each student is a unique individual with a variety of skills, interests, needs and strengths. We celebrate and include all of our learners. We encourage inclusiveness, respectful interactions and promote social and emotional well-being, academic growth and physical development.
This year, we are focusing our planning on the social emotional learning of all learners at James Ardiel. Teachers create open-ended learning experiences that reflect the Core Competencies of BC’s curriculum. We are focusing on personal and social awareness and responsibility and self-regulation to support our students social emotional learning.
With a dedicated staff and supportive parent community, our students are set up for a rewarding and successful school journey. Although we continuously celebrate our students’ strengths as learners, we are committed to seeking ways to provide our students with skills that they can use a lifelong learner.
Teachers have noticed that when students have developed strategies to regulate their behaviour, they have been able to optimize their learning.
Our students are often unable to reflect on their behaviour and make the connection between their choices and the consequences of their actions Whether it be frustration with learning or having difficulties with other students, the resulting inability to access core social-emotional skills such as problem solving, self-talk, emotion management, active listening and empathy is limiting.
Many students’ referrals to the office are a result of poor choices and the students struggle to articulate why they are frustrated or stressed. We understand students learn better and respond more reflectively when they are self-aware and can monitor their senses.
By learning how to understand and use self-regulation strategies, by developing attention to oneself and others, by fostering social and emotional awareness this enhances psychological well-being and promotes successful learning.
OUR FOCUS
The staff at James Ardiel are committed to a safe and caring culture where relationships and collaboration are valued and where stakeholders work together on various school initiatives. This year staff have noted that students require more tools and strategies to promote social emotional learning.
Our focus question: “How can common SEL strategies positively impact student behaviour?”.
Evidence, supporting this focus was drawn from a wide variety of structures used to gather information on what we know about our learners including but not limited to Formative Assessment, Summative Assessment, teacher observations. With this in mind, the staff at James Ardiel are implementing programs, tools and strategies to help students make good choices and decisions.
We have identified our core beliefs as: We are all learners, we all belong, a strong sense of belonging encourages risk-taking in a safe learning environment.
Our Focus connects with the Core Competencies of Personal Awareness, Social Awareness and Responsibility. Our students are empowered through the following I can statements: "I can recognize my emotions, I can manage my stress and I can interact with others positively".
Our monthly school-wide SEL themes, such as kindness and respect, have provided us with opportunities to incorporate literacy curricular competencies. We have used bulletin boards, book tables, classroom activities, assemblies, and a school-wide kindness letter writing project to support the following literacy Curricular
Competencies: Exploring stories and other texts allows us to understand ourselves and make connections to others. Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens. Curiosity and wonder lead us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.
An important piece in building self awareness is developing the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures and contexts. We have noticed that celebrating cultural events as a community allows our students to see themselves as important and included members of our school community. This sense of belonging promotes a positive self identity that directly impacts student success.
Our early primary students are learning how to self-regulate through breathing techniques and calm down tools. They read Alphabreaths by Cristopher Willard and Daniel Richscheffan each day and practice breathing. They do a daily video and practice “melting” and yoga posses. Our intermediate students regularly participate in breathing, meditation and mindfulness activities.
Our staff is participating in a variety of workshops and exploring SEL resources. We have a staff SEL book club which provides rich opportunities to explore and learn together.
Many of our students have learned the Zones of Regulation and connect each morning to a colour on the poster and discuss/articulate why they feel the way they do. The Second Step program has helped students build a foundation for a positive, inclusive culture through developing social emotional competencies, which include perspective taking, empathy, processing emotions, understanding and resolving conflicts and building positive relationships.
Our students were asked to share their growth and learning in the video below. They were asked the following questions: What do you do when you have problems with friends? What can you do to be ready to learn? What do you do when you feel stressed or overwhelmed?
OUR NEXT STEPS
How do we know that SEL is making a difference at James Ardiel?
Staff have noticed that students are actively participating in classroom discussions and activities. Students are often seen encouraging one another, supporting each other and demonstrating empathy and kindness.
Moving forward:
For staff -
- we will continue to have on-going opportunities to engage in professional learning sessions to develop a better understanding of self-regulation
- Collaborate with SEL teacher-provided staff SEL Inservice and pro d opportunities.
- We will assess our progress next year by completing focused assessments twice during the school year.
For students -
- Continue to explore the Second Step, MindUp, and/or Zones of Regulation programs into all of the grades throughout the school.
- Improving SEL/self regulation spaces for whole school use, which includes Zones of Regulation Posters specific strategies and many sensory tools, such as rocks, sand, locks, books, puzzles, mini trampolines, tunnels, tents, balance balls, soft lighting.
- Continuing to use a variety of SEL strategies such as:
- noise cancellation ear muffs
- student breaks
- wiggle cushions
- school wide DPA (i.e. yoga, school runs, etc.)
- friendship groups
- soft starts
- friendship ad kindness month
- read SEL picture books at monthly assemblies
- class meetings on a weekly basis in all classrooms
- provide descriptive feedback to students
- setting learning intentions so students know what they are to learn ( I can…statements).
We are in a continuous process of adjusting our goals as we move forward. This is a flexible plan that we will continue to monitor and adjust in order to meet the needs of our learners.
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.
