Panorama Ridge Secondary
OUR CONTEXT
École Panorama Ridge Secondary opened its doors in 2006 to an ever growing neighbourhood. Situated on the former site of Newton Junior, Panorama Ridge is now an integral part of the community. École Panorama Ridge Secondary strives to provide a safe, diverse, and collaborative community which nurtures student’s growth as lifelong learners, future leaders, and respectful, global citizens by providing opportunities for intellectual, artistic, technological, and athletic expression. Offering both a French Immersion and English language program, students benefit from rigorous academics along with first-class programs in music, arts, and athletics. As such, Panorama Ridge boasts Loran scholars, Provincial Champions for a variety of athletics including Soccer, Volleyball, Kabbadi, Ball Hockey, Basketball, and Wrestling, excellence in Performing Arts, and an outstanding Band Program. In addition, Equity and Inclusion work is a vital part of the school community. Recently, a Social Justice committee was established at the school with a focus on staff collaborations and students learning and advocating.
School and Community
Panorama Ridge students are committed to bettering community through activities such as advocacy work, service projects, and fundraisers. Our student groups, including Interac, the GSA, the Social Justice Club, Gender Equity Club, and the Animal Humane Society, raised funds and their voices for oppressed groups and/or those in need. In addition, PR students participated in Model United Nations to build leadership skills, debate and work together to solve current global issues. These students stepped into the roles of world leaders, representing countries from around the globe. Within the school, Grade 12 students completed Capstone Projects highlighting their passions and ideas for future plans, our Leadership classes steered numerous events and activities designed to build community and spirit, and our Co-op program perfectly entwined academic and real world experiences that influenced the growth for our students.
Animal Humane Society SJ & Gender Equity Committee initiative Supporting the people of Ukraine
Raising awareness of those without Housing Grade 8 Day - Building community and friendships
Academics
École Panorama Ridge offers academic programs through either French Immersion or English Language. French Immersion is an intensive second language acquisition program. Students study in French while following the regular B.C. Curriculum; French Immersion is available to all students. Surrey French Immersion programs are provided in schools which also offer the regular English program. In both programs, Panorama Ridge students have consistently demonstrated strong performances in their courses, excelling in a variety of programs including Technology Education, Business Education, International Languages, Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. In addition, many senior students enroll in AP courses such as English Literature, Calculus, and Biology, and all senior level students complete extensive Capstone projects for graduation. Many scholarships have been awarded to our students within all of these programs. A number of Panorama Ridge students have also been recipients of provincial and/or national scholarships.
Founded in 1988, the Loran scholarship is a prestigious award presented to well-rounded students with a “commitment to service and high potential for leadership". Loran Scholars represent the qualities of compassion and utilize the courage of conviction to help their communities in a variety of meaningful ways. To search for these students, the Loran foundation hosts the “most comprehensive and thorough scholarship selection process in Canada". Chidiebere O. was one of over 6,000 applicants who applied to the scholarship in September, then becoming one of the 300 students selected to move into the semi-final stage. After extensive interviews, the pool was reduced again to 72 finalists. This in and of itself, is a huge achievement, and Chidi was recognized with a $5,000 finalist award. Since 1988 there have only ever been four Loran Scholars from Surrey; we are proud that our own Chidiebere O. was the fifth, winning $100,000 to support her as she achieves her undergraduate degree.
Arts
Our Arts programs including Theatre, Dance, Music, and Art offer students a variety opportunities and choice to explore their passions and hone their skills. Numerous performances are enjoyed by the school community over the year, as these creative students share their talents.
Athletics
Panorama Ridge's coaches and sponsors support a bevy of teams and athletes. Students of varying skills levels compete in a variety of fields including Soccer, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Rugby, Wrestling, \X-Country, Track & Field, Kabaddi, Ball Hockey, and Ice Hockey. Many of our teams have accomplished district, provincial, and national championships while ALL of our teams have benefitted from team building, practicing integrity/commitment/hard work, and having fun!
OUR LEARNERS
Panorama Ridge students understand that in addition to learning through academics, education is also about developing skill sets to self-regulate and to navigate the world around them. Our learners build skills that allow them to enter adulthood feeling confident and empowered.
Our learners can exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking.
Many of our students regularly participate in a sharing circle by sharing their name and a comment about the topic of the day. The topic is determined by the group or the circle leader of the day. Students remember to leave room for silence allowing for participants to find their words in their own time. A talking stick is passed around in a clock-wise direction or as the sun rises and sets as is the custom in the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) tradition. Because participants are facing one another equally in an interconnected circle, all aspects of the human being (mind, body, heart, and spirit) are activated and learning/sharing has more meaning/authenticity. A strong sense of community is established and everyone has the opportunity to build connections.
Our learners can receive, offer, and apply constructive feedback.
Students often nominate a peer and themselves once a week for positive and admirable behaviour. This allows the students to see how they can show a sense of accomplishment and also recognize emotions and recognize their value and advocate for their rights. They can take responsibility for choices, actions, and achievements. They can also, in a safe and supported environment, respond meaningfully to communication from peers and adults.
Our learners can create and evaluate strategies for managing physical, emotional, and social changes during puberty and adolescence.
Our students actively explore their identity by analyzing elements of their life that bring pride, importance and meaning to them. They also look at their strengths, stretches, their perspective of self and how they believe others perceive them. They delve into what they want to work on and their goals. Such activities allow for building strategies to manage selves in a myriad of ways and situations.
Sample Junior Assignment
Our learners can use self-assessment and reflection to develop awareness of their strengths, preferences, and skills.
Year end projects allow student to reflect on their learning and growth. The sample project below, is a project that students worked on. They chose their own format of presentation to present helpful information to incoming Grade 8 students. This project allowed them share personal strategies that worked for them, showcase their own strengths and their knowledge of school, take pride in sharing their tips for success and positive affirmations.
Sample Project Work by Students:
Our learners can set and achieve realistic learning goals with perseverance and resilience.
Understanding ones needs and subsequent goals and learning how to achieve them is a life skill that strengthens a person's ability to find success in aspects of their lives. It is important for our students to begin the stages of learning to plan and goals set productively so that this becomes transferable into their adult lives. Below, are samples of progressive work that students engage in to develop this essential skill.
OUR FOCUS
Focus Area: Transitions
It is important that our students build skills that allow them to enter each grade and eventually, adulthood, feeling confident and empowered. Building social awareness to increase academic achievement and overall confidence will lead to success. More specifically, the skills needed to find this success include being able to:
- exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking
- receive, offer, and apply constructive feedback
- create and evaluate strategies for managing physical, emotional, and social changes
- use self-assessment and reflection to develop awareness of their strengths, preferences, and skills
- set and achieve realistic learning goals with perseverance and resilience
These goals will provide our students with a strong foundation, allowing them to navigate through life's challenges and flourish.
Cohort Group
This past year a cohort group was formed with the purpose of building these very skills. Information was gathered through various ways and used to determine which students would be good fit for this cohort group. Report cards, attendance records, feed back from the school community (Vice-Principals, Counsellors, Teachers, Youth Care Workers), articulation notes, and student files were used to aid in this determination. It was found that referrals were made for students who: struggled with attendance/punctuality, and/or had low engagement in school, and/or had limited peer interactions/relationships, and/or struggled with peer conflict, and/or struggled with academic tasks completion.
A designated teacher worked with these students engaging in activities aimed at (1) building stronger peer & student-teacher relationships, (2) taking advantage of resources: counsellors, youth room, library, etc., (3) building self-confidence, (4) working on presenting, (5) communicating with peers/teachers, (6) developing organization systems, (7) applying problem solving strategies, and (8) managing stress/emotions. These activities fell under the umbrella of "SELF", "ACADEMIC", and "SOCIAL". In addition to the teacher, a whole team worked with these students at various times. The team included Youth Care Workers, Safe School Liaison people, Counsellors, Administration, other teachers, Peers, Librarian, Peer Tutors, Volunteers, and Parents.
Evidence of student learning and growth was collected through observations, conversations, projects/presentations, assignments from other classes, teacher rubrics (feedback from 1st semester and beginning of 2nd semester, and feedback from end of semester), feedback from VPs, counsellors, YCW, reflections (journaling), binder checks, attendance reports, report card data, and examples of students demonstrating/applying strategies learned in class. This evident showed that students improved in organization, attendance/punctuality, work habits, completing tasks and meeting deadlines, communication, managing and articulating emotions, growth mindset, managing peer conflict, and using strategies for overcoming obstacles (social-emotional, psychological).
OUR NEXT STEPS
Work with the cohort group revealed that the students often struggled with low motivation, focus, and/or social engagement. Working with students to build an awareness of their struggles when it came to engaging with school/peers was key to developing an openness to self-improvement. Building 1-1 relationships was also necessary before students opened up to participating and working on self.
We know that as students become more and more disengaged with school their attendance begins to drop, thus creating a cycle that leads to further disengagement and connection.
We will continue to move ahead in building capacity within our students as demonstrated through increased self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, and collaboration & teamwork. Our focus group will be the Grade 9 students as this age group is particularly vulnerable to disengagement. Students transitioning from Grade 7 to 8, who face many changes during their Grade 7 year, will be our secondary focus group. The activities and connections work that were developed this year will drive the work we do as we go deeper to find way to connect with student with specific needs. The lens of Equity and Learning by design will guide our work. This lens, more specifically, includes:
LEARNING – Learning is relational and inclusive. Every child and youth receive what they need to develop their full academic and social potential. The learning expectations are high and appropriate for all students. Educators are sensitive and responsive to individual and group differences.
STRUCTURES – Structures are designed with intention. They are learner-centered, social and encourage the learner’s active engagement. Educators design learning environments that are affirming of diverse learners’ identities & abilities. Structures are established to engage in student-focused conversations with emphasis on knowing & understanding individual students.
TOOLS – Digital and non-digital tools and resources reduce barriers to learning; promote equitable access; take into consideration the interests of students; and deepen knowledge and understanding of Indigenous history, traditions and culture.
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.
