Lena Shaw Elementary 23-24

OUR CONTEXT

OUR CONTEXT

We are diverse: Lena Shaw is an elementary school rich in its diversity. This is a strength and source of pride in our school. Our learners join us from all over the world, and we celebrate both our commonalities and our differences. Our learners are kind, compassionate and we work together to build a sense of community and belonging. We are all ORCAS at Lena Shaw. 


We are adventurers: Due to our proximity to Green Timbers Park, our students frequently experience place-based learning and learn Indigenous Principles within the classroom, but also directly in nature.  It is a joy to see the students and staff with their wagons as they embark on adventures in our neighbourhood forest. 



We care about our our world: Lena Shaw strives to offer real-world experiences for our students wherever possible. For example, utilizing students' math skills in a grocery store, their social skills by practicing ordering at a restaurant, and entrepreneurship and global awareness through the creation of businesses to raise money for charities.  We frequently have guest speakers from different perspectives come and share their voices with our students and hear from our students in return. Our students are also fortunate to see and experience educational opportunities and careers that they may be interested in one day! 

We are part of our community: Lena Shaw believes in community school connections. We hosts a variety of after school activities to continue the school and community connection. We are thrilled to have been selected to host the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) at Lena Shaw where students have access to rich musical instruction and to Canada Scores which combines soccer and poetry.  In addition, we have a vibrant StrongStart program at our school as well as a pilot program called JustB4. There is such rich learning happening both in our K-7 classrooms as well as our Pre-Kindergarten classes as we get ready to have them join us! 

We are artists: Last year we hosted our first ever Art Crawl where students showcased their learning through art! We were so thankful to have had hundreds of families join us here at the school where students were able to take their families around the school to share their learning, but also take them to other classes throughout the school to see what was happening at differing grade levels. We are excited to host this again in the spring to share our students' learning.

We are active: Lena Shaw hosts a variety of sports, clubs, and other activities, so that students can build connections and feel a sense of belonging.

We learn about ourselves as learners and people: Lena Shaw students self-reflect on their learning and learn how they learn best! We encourage students to advocate for themselves and utilize strategies when support is needed.


We all belong at Lena Shaw: All of our students are all of our students at Lena Shaw. 



OUR LEARNERS

OUR LEARNERS

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process that supports adults, youth, and children in developing skills that are necessary for school, work, and life.  This includes self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationships skills, and social awareness.  These skills are embedded in all subject areas in BC's curriculum. 

Below, we celebrate our learners' successes and strengths in the areas of:

Responsible Decision-Making


Responsible Decision-Making

Our learners can assess risks and address ethical, cultural, and environmental issues.

Our leaners can identify and apply strategies to pursue healthy living goals.

In our classrooms, students explore ways keep themselves healthy, both physically and mentally. In different curricular areas, students explicitly learned and practiced mindfulness practices (deep breathing, mindful movement, mindful seeing and mindful listening). Students identified ways that are meaningful to them to make responsible decisions for healthy living in Physical and Health Education and Science.

Our learners understand the Indigenous perspective that everything is inter-connected and that education is not separate from the rest of life. They can make responsible decisions that consider the perspectives, experiences, and worldviews of others.  (First Peoples Principle of Learning) 

Our learners are developing an understanding of the role of personal decision-making in promoting wellbeing. (PE 4)

Our learners can describe and apply strategies that promote a safe and caring environment (Science 4)

Our learners can make observations about living and non-living things in the local environment (Science 4)

Our learners can experience and interpret the local environment (Science 4)


OUR FOCUS

OUR FOCUS

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an everyday focus at Lena Shaw and our learners are presented with opportunities to practice and demonstrate their Social and Emotional Learning skills and capabilities. Lena Shaw educators provide our learners with these essential skills to set them up for success both in school and beyond. To identify students’ overall strengths and areas for growth, we tracked Responsible Decision-Making in 2 cohorts of learners across subject areas. These cohorts include a diverse range of learners that are representative of our school’s population.

 A total of 12 Grade 4 students were chosen to participate in our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Inquiry.  

The SEL competencies we focused on in relation to “responsible decision-making” include:

  • Identifying solutions to personal and social problems
  • Evaluating the consequences of actions
  • Developing an understanding of the role of personal decision making in promoting community wellbeing.


OUR NEXT STEPS

OUR NEXT STEPS

Based on observations, self-reflections and conversations with students and interviews with students and staff we found that our learners are developing their SEL skills and capacities. In the focus area of responsible decision-making, students demonstrated an increase in their ability to:

  1. Identify solutions to personal and social problems;
  2. Evaluate the consequences of actions; and
  3. Understand the role of personal decision-making in promoting wellbeing.


Students had the opportunity to participate in the City of Surrey’s Urban Forest Stewardship Releaf planting program in the fall, in total, the class planted 60 native trees and shrubs. 


Stewardship begins with a relationship to place. Strengthen students' sense of place with regular and repeated visits to a local park. While instilling a practice of responsible decision-making and a sense of social awareness.  

Playing and exploring outdoors will naturally lead to student-led inquiry, an increased understanding and appreciation of place, and a desire to care for the spaces your students come to know. Student’s learned to be responsible about the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being. 

 As stewards of Surrey’s parkland, students are committed to sustainability and building a legacy for future generations. Some of the learning pieces related to responsible decision making that came from the Stewardship program were the following:  

  • Stay on trails and open lawns. Do not pick, trample or remove plants, flowers, berries or other natural items. Leave things how you found them. 

  • Pack it in, pack it out. Pack your waste out of the park and dispose of it appropriately at home. Do not leave unnatural items in parks (e.g. painted rocks, fairy houses).

  • Give wildlife space. Watch animals from trails to minimize stress. Do not feed them or disturb their nests. Animals are safer and healthier when they don't become accustomed to people. 

  • Stay out of the water. Footsteps can stir up silt in streams (which can suffocate fish and destroy spawning habitat) and crush salmon eggs. Do not create new trails to access creeks.

  • Preserve biodiversity in Surrey. Keep invasive plants out of our parks by disposing of yard waste in your organic cart. 


All 12 Grade 4 students were able to demonstrate and articulate responsible decision-making around being learners who: 

-  can assess risks and address ethical, cultural, and environmental issues 

- understand the Indigenous perspective that everything is inter-connected and that education is not separate from the rest of life. 

- make responsible decisions that consider the perspectives, experiences, and worldviews of others.

- who understand the role of personal decision making in promoting community wellness

- are able to evaluate the condequences of others


Based on our learning, an area of growth for Lena Shaw next year is to continue working alongside students to identify solutions to personal and social problems as well as continue the work from this year. We would like to expand this to other grades beyond the grade 4 cohort and into other curricular areas.




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.

Surrey Schools
14033 - 92 Avenue Surrey,
British Columbia V3V 0B7
604-596-7733