Mary Jane Shannon Elementary 25-26
OUR CONTEXT
Mary Jane Shannon (MJS) is a vibrant and diverse school community, rich in its cultural composition and lived experiences. As a staff and community, we honour the unique identities each member brings, embracing and celebrating both our differences and the shared values that connect us. Our learners come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and it is through this diversity that we intentionally cultivate a strong, inclusive, and unwavering sense of community.
We are fortunate to have the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at MJS, which enriches our learning environment for all students. Our learners work alongside interpreters and are increasingly developing an interest in learning sign language as a way to communicate and connect with one another. This shared commitment helps foster a culture of inclusion, where students and staff actively build awareness, empathy, and respect for diverse ways of communicating.
Everyone belongs at Mary Jane Shannon. This belief is at the core of all we do. Our students consistently share that the adults in the building are supportive, approachable, and genuinely care about their well-being. Relationships are at the heart of our work—between students, staff, families, and the broader community. We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where each individual feels safe to be themselves and confident in who they are.
Our school serves as a hub for the community—a place where connection, learning, and engagement extend beyond the classroom. Students feel a strong sense of belonging and often choose to spend time at school before and after the instructional day. Whether participating in athletics, clubs, leadership opportunities, or after-school programs, learners are deeply engaged and take pride in being part of the MJS community. These opportunities foster connection, teamwork, and a sense of shared responsibility, further strengthening the bonds within our school.
Families are valued partners in our community, and we actively seek to build meaningful, reciprocal relationships with them. Through ongoing communication, community events, and shared learning opportunities, we work together to support the growth and success of every student. Our connection to the broader community enriches learning experiences and helps ground our work in real-world contexts, reinforcing the idea that school is not separate from community—it is an integral part of it.
At Mary Jane Shannon, we are committed to nurturing a culture of care, respect, and belonging, where every student and family feels connected. Our school is more than just a place of learning—it is a community where individuals come together, support one another, and thrive.
<
OUR LEARNERS
At MJS, students are kind, compassionate, and empathetic. They demonstrate a deep respect for one another, recognizing and valuing both their own strengths and the strengths of those around them. Our learners are supported in developing an understanding of identity, equity, and belonging, and they take pride in contributing to a school culture where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. As a community, we continuously seek out the common threads that bind us together, strengthening connections across cultures, experiences, and perspectives.
Our learners at Mary Jane Shannon bring a wealth of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives into their learning every day. They see learning as a meaningful and ongoing process—one that supports not only the achievement of their goals but also the development and expression of their individual identities. Our students are increasingly recognizing that who they are as learners is connected to who they are as people, and they take pride in growing both academically and personally.
At MJS, students are developing a strong sense of agency in their learning. They set goals, reflect on their progress, and understand that learning requires time, effort, and perseverance. Through a focus on Personal Awareness and Responsibility, a core competency embedded across all areas of the curriculum, our learners are becoming more confident in understanding themselves as learners—recognizing their strengths, identifying areas for growth, and making thoughtful choices about how they approach their learning.
We continue to prioritize meaningful opportunities for students to engage as readers, writers, and communicators. Our learners benefit from diverse and responsive approaches that allow them to see themselves reflected in their learning. They are encouraged to share their voices, stories, and identities through reading, writing, and oral language, helping to build both confidence and connection in their learning experiences.
OUR FOCUS
This year, students and staff identified reading as an important area of focus. Our learners expressed a desire to deepen their skills and build confidence as readers, particularly through hands-on, engaging strategies that make learning to read both accessible and meaningful. We noticed that many students were seeking more explicit support and opportunities to practice and apply their skills in authentic ways. In response, we have been intentional in creating learning experiences that are interactive, supportive, and responsive to student needs.
As a result, our students are beginning to see themselves as capable and growing readers. They are developing strategies, building stamina, and gaining confidence as they engage with a range of texts. Above all, they are learning that reading is not just a skill, but a powerful tool for understanding themselves and the world around them. Reading underlies all learning and the skills needed for reading: phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension, are fundamental for students’ language development.
The staff at MJS are deeply committed to improving student learning and engagement. In the fall, over fifteen teachers joined the Student Learning Plan Committee, demonstrating a strong collective focus on student success. Throughout the year, the team met regularly with an emphasis on elevating student voice and embedding it more meaningfully into lesson planning. Staff also participated in a book club centered on Shifting the Balance, strengthening their instructional practices to better support student learning. This professional learning will continue into the new year as we build on this work and align it with our new goal.
Looking and analyzing the FSA over the years, we can see an improvement with the grade 4 students in their reading and literacy. At the same time we see that the grade 7 co-hort has increased in emerging and decreased in being on track. We would like to continue using literacy as a foundation to our next year's Student Learning Plan.
Through teacher feeback we have noticed that students who arrived mid-year demonstrated strong growth in foundational literacy skills, including recognizing most alphabet letters and sounds. Targeted small-group instruction and the use of engaging audio-visual supports (e.g., alphabet songs) supported the progress of the students in the co-horts through the year. Students are developing increased stamina and beginning to engage with comprehension strategies, including understanding story elements, making connections, and exploring a variety of genres. They are also showing emerging awareness of letter-sound relationships and growing confidence in their early reading skills.
OUR NEXT STEPS
Student Learning Goal: Strengthening Social-Emotional Competency Through Literacy
In response to identified student needs, particularly for learners experiencing barriers such as trauma, behavioural challenges, and socio-economic factors, our school will prioritize a student-centred approach to integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into literacy instruction.
We recognize that students who are not making expected progress often require additional support in developing self-regulation, emotional understanding, and relational skills. Literature provides a powerful and accessible entry point for this work, enabling students to see themselves, understand others, and build the skills necessary for both academic and personal success.
Our Next Year's Focus Areas
• Embed SEL intentionally into literacy instruction across classrooms
• Use diverse texts and storytelling to:
• Build self-awareness and reflection
• Develop empathy and perspective-taking
• Strengthen communication and relationship skills
• Align instruction with BC Core Competencies, with an emphasis on:
• Personal Awareness and Responsibility
• Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
• Communication
Key Rationale
• SEL is a critical factor in student success, particularly for vulnerable learners whose emotional and social needs impact academic progress.
• Inquiry and district opportunities already highlight SEL through literature and identity-building practices, reinforcing this direction as a meaningful and research-aligned priority.
• Literacy learning provides authentic opportunities for students to:
• Explore identity and lived experiences
• Engage in respectful dialogue
• Build critical thinking alongside emotional understanding
Actions
• Expand access to shared SEL-focused literacy resources (e.g., class sets and resource room texts)
• Provide opportunities for teachers to collaboratively explore SEL-rich literature and instructional practices
• Integrate structured opportunities for student reflection, discussion, and connection to personal experiences
• Continue building staff capacity in trauma-informed and SEL-informed practices
Intended Impact
Students will:
• Demonstrate increased self-awareness and responsibility, including perseverance in challenging situations
• Develop stronger empathy and understanding of others
• Improve communication and relationship skills
• Experience greater engagement and success in literacy learning
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.
