Rosemary Heights Elementary
OUR CONTEXT
Rosemary Heights Elementary Vision Statement: Rosemary Rockets: A compassionate, interconnected, inclusive, learning community. Always Shooting For The Stars!
Students: Rosemary Heights students are a compassionate, interconnected, inclusive learning community. They are kind, caring and dedicated learners who come to school loved and cared for; ready to engage in learning. We are excited in the ways that our community is growing in diversity. Students are active in many leadership opportunities throughout the school year. Students work with a variety of evidence-based programming, including Second Step and MindUp, which equips students to face adverse situations by developing strategies to help manage worries and anxiety.
Families: We are a caring and connected community who take care of each other. Families want the best for their children and are strong advocates. The PAC is extremely active and engaged, and is always looking for ways to fundraise and provide many opportunities for students, such as yoga, zumba, pickleball, dance, fine-arts presentations and more. Upgrading technology is also a priority with our PAC and each student benefits from their generosity. Groups of parents, such as the Lunar New Year committee, provide learning experiences for our children; such as assemblies and cultural stations in the gym. For our Terry Fox Run, dozens of parents come out to support the children and keep them safe on their run around the community, showing the way this community of families supports their children.
Staff: As a staff, we are a highly committed team who values lifelong learning. We support our students through our own well-being practices. By caring and supporting each other, we are able to better support and care for our school community. Our shared learning and mentoring of each other allows students to see collaboration and care in action. Because of these relationships, we have low staff turnover, which offers stability for our learners. We bring a variety of experiences to our community through our diverse career stages. We are a welcoming and inclusive staff working together in an environment where relationships are valued. Two years of participation in the Elementary Mentoring Pilot Program has contributed greatly to our positive and safe learning culture at Rosemary.
OUR LEARNERS
At Rosemary Heights, our students are a compassionate, interconnected, inclusive, learning community building their curiosity and competency in Social-Emotional Learning. SEL focuses on student skill development through building their identities in awareness and regulation of their emotions, navigating healthy social relationships, as well as responsible decision making (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2022). To further this, students’ social and emotional development can be looked at through the SEL framework which highlights the competency areas of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness (CASEL, 2022). These competencies have an intricate relationship with the BC Ministry of Education’s Core Competencies, in the areas of Communication, as well as Personal and Social Awareness. Our learners understand that it is important to take care of themselves, others and the environment. Through direct SEL instruction, our learners are growing in compassion, relationship skills and responsible decision making.
<div style="padding:75% 0 0 0;position:relative;">
Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves, our families, and our communities (ELA Grade 3).
OUR FOCUS
Our learners understand that it is important to take care of themselves, others and the environment. Through direct SEL instruction, our learners are growing in compassion, relationship skills and responsible decision making. This learning is important to becoming a contributing world citizen.
Our focus is to weave SEL competencies into academic experiences.
Our evidence of learning can be found through the following Big Ideas (ELA, ADST, and Social Studies) as found in the BC Curriculum:
- Determine whether their product meets the objective and contributes to the individual, family, community, and/or environment (ADST Grade 5).
- Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves, our families, and our communities (ELA Grade 3).
- Immigration and multiculturalism continue to shape Canadian society and identity (Social Studies Grade 5).
- Leadership represents good planning, goal setting, and collaboration (Career Education 7).
The goal is for students to use SEL strategies in their everyday learning and lives. Using these strategies will allow students to self-regulate, use executive functioning and know their own personal needs. Students from Grade 3, Grade 5 and Grade 7 make up the group of students who will provide the evidence of learning that supports this goal. Students are working within a variety of contexts: direct SEL instruction, literature, videos, class discussions, writing experiences, group work, and taking part in leadership experiences.
Opportunities for student voice and decision-making can be seen through:
TEAMY – grade 6/7 student leadership teams
- Technology Team
- Event Team
- Athletics Team
- Managers Team
- Yearbook Team
- Student Sports day facilitation
Students explore SEL through:
Safe Schools, Second Step, Kids in the Know, Mind Up
Activities through mindfulness, morning classroom meetings, listening and sharing circles
Student-led conferences, digital portfolios, self-assessment, descriptive feedback, self-reflection, goal setting
Staff are continually finding ways for students to practice and refine their SEL skills. Staff support the students by partaking in Professional Development, Professional Book Club, and the Elementary Mentoring Program. Working with our district’s Helping Teachers, SEL lead and EMPP lead, staff have the resources to support all students.
OUR NEXT STEPS
Rosemary students are continuing to learn and progress within the BC Ministry of Education’s Core Competencies, in the areas of Communication, as well as Personal and Social Awareness. Our learners understand that it is important to take care of themselves, others and the environment. Through direct SEL instruction, our learners are growing in compassion, relationship skills and responsible decision making.
Evidence of student learning in this area:
Declan really got the idea about connecting to his identity with his name and exploring the connections he has with his family writing, in relation with our story.
Since 2019, the development of our SEL goal has been complimented and supported by our SEL Lead program. Students have shown evidence of growth in the SEL competency areas, resulting from explicit SEL instruction and integrated SEL within the curriculum.
Moving forward, we plan to continue integrating SEL throughout new initiatives with consultation from CASEL’s 10 Indicators of School-wide SEL. This integration will ensure that students continue to build capacity with their essential core competencies.
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.
