Mountainview Montessori 25-26

OUR FOCUS

At Mountainview we have both a core competency focus on our student's Social Emotional Learning (SEL), specifically in the area of Social Awareness and Responsibility and a curricular focus in numeracy. This work is paired with work around Racial Equity as our SEL and Racial Equity leads work together.

As a small school community, both our SEL and Numeracy cohorts are school-wide. 

1. Social Awareness and Responsibility

Social Awareness and Responsibility involves the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of connections among people, including between people and the natural environment. Social Awareness and Responsibility focuses on interacting with others and the natural world in respectful and caring ways. People who are socially aware and responsible contribute to the well-being of their social and physical environments. They support the development of welcoming and inclusive communities, where people feel safe and have a sense of belonging.

A socially aware and responsible individual contributes positively to their family, community, and environment; empathizes with others and appreciates their perspectives; resolves problems peacefully; and develops and sustains healthy relationships.

In order to develop personal awareness and responsibility in our students, we are focused on developing the following areas: 

• identifying student personal values and strengths and abilities to determine ways they can contribute to their communities and care for the environment
• demonstrating curiosity about their natural world by experiencing and interpreting the local environment
• recognizing our shared responsibility for the local environment
• caring for self, others and neighbourhood through personal or collective approaches
•  self-regulating to resolve problems
•  developing understanding of how relationships and cultural contexts shape who we are and how we build relationships with others

To support our SEL goals, we implemented the following during the 2025-2026 school year:

•  continuing to support the use of 7 Sacred Teachings language school wide. This year, divisions have paired up and create/invite all classes to participate in a school wide activity or assembly focusing on a specific teaching. 
•  continued implementation of Second Step in all classrooms grade K-7. 
• SEL lead implemented a picture book share and rotating discussion series for all K–7 classes, featuring books that explore both social-emotional learning and racial equity themes.
• SEL and Equity lead work together on common themes, holding regular meetings inviting all staff to participate. 
• Applied for and awarded BC Parks grant to enhance the biodiversity of our school grounds. As part of the grant, adding 4 additional garden boxes planted with pollinator plants to attract bees and birds. We now have a total of six vegetable garden boxes, six Indigenous plant boxes, and 4 pollinator plant boxes. Students are engaged in learning about the traditional indigenous uses of plants, deepening their understanding of local ecosystems and cultural knowledge. 
• Invited parents to take part in Family Wednesdays and other classroom or out‑of‑class events.
• Explored ways to use the district’s loose‑parts materials to support SEL and Racial Equity activities
•  establish a partnership with our secondary school by inviting secondary students to visit our classrooms to deliver lessons and presentations on racial equity issues.

2. Numeracy

The BC Numeracy Competencies emphasize students’ ability to interpret, apply, and communicate mathematical concepts in order to solve real-world problems.

Research shows that a strong understanding of math vocabulary is essential for solving word problems. When students understand key terms, they can connect language directly to mathematical operations, reducing cognitive load and allowing them to focus on problem-solving strategies. A strong vocabulary also helps students interpret context, select appropriate approaches, and clearly explain their thinking. As a result, math vocabulary development is a critical factor in improving both problem-solving ability and overall mathematical understanding.

Inquiry Question:

How can students develop and use multiple strategies to solve mathematical problems while also building mathematical vocabulary and language to explain their thinking? 

SEL Focus: 

Our work in social-emotional learning (SEL) will continue into the 2026-27 school year, as we recognize that this is a long-term commitment essential to student well-being and success.

We will: 

•  amplify our Seven Grandfather's Teachings principles work and deepen student engagement, by continuing with student-led assemblies and/or activities to ensure that key messages are reinforced consistently across both school-wide and classroom settings, fostering a stronger and more cohesive learning community.
• continue with the support of our SEL and Racial Equity Leads.
• continue to develop our school Peace Garden as a place for reflection, quiet and gardening.  
• expand our classroom SEL book rotations to include inclusive literature, facilitating classroom discussions around identity and justice, and providing professional development to support staff in creating equitable and emotionally supportive learning environments for all students. 
• continue the collaborative work with Johnston Heights Secondary staff and students to deliver lessons and presentations on racial equity issues and strength this relationship moving forward, as part of our ongoing commitment to equity and inclusive education.
• expand our use of the district Belonging Calendar by creating a bulletin board that will display all upcoming celebrations, significant holidays for all our students. This work will be a partnership between our Child Care Worker, SEL and Racial Equity Leads, primary students and the intermediate student leadership team. 
• continue to develop our school garden and our work to increase biodiversity in the space by introducing features that actively attract and support native pollinators.

Numeracy: 

We have identified problem solving as our key focus and with that the development of student math vocabulary. To support this goal over the coming year, we will: 

• provide each class with a word wall of math vocabulary.
•  in classrooms, purposefully introduce words to add to a math word wall in coordination with the units they are currently studying. 
•  assess students in the Spring to monitor progress. 
• introduce a primary and intermediate work problem challenge each week. 
• provide lunch and learn opportunities for staff in the area of numeracy by enlisting the help of our District helping teachers and our school Montessori trained teachers. 
• apply for the Math Matters district initiative for the 26-27 school year.