Surrey Centre Elementary 22-23
OUR CONTEXT
The Surrey Centre community prides itself in creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all learners. When you walk inside the main entrance, you will see a beautiful mural in the shape of an eagle with an image of each of the four school buildings that have been on this land. Our community is deeply connected to and acknowledges that we work, play and learn on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and other Coast Salish Peoples.
This school year, we created a garden to help our students learn more about Truth and Reconciliation. Our approach was to establish a garden, where each student decorated a rock with an illustration representing what Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, signifies to them. Along with this, we provided instruction on the native plants in the garden, which flourish on our lands. At the Meet the Teacher evening, students and their parents/ guardians put their painted rocks in the garden. It's become a special place for the kids, and they often spend time there looking at the messages on the rocks.
This year, our community took part in redesigning the school logo. We worked with a local Coast Salish artist to ensure that the Surrey Centre eagle represented the Coast Salish people. Students were able to choose the design, font and colors and below is the beautiful image that now represents Surrey Centre. The eagle’s wings are intentionally open to reflect the warmth and sense of belonging that we want students to feel coming to school.
At Surrey Centre, students can participate in a range of extracurricular activities that align with their interests. For instance, a group of students expressed their enthusiasm for chess, prompting a weekly chess club during lunch hours. The club is facilitated by mentor students who have a solid grasp of the game and are keen on teaching their peers how to play. The club has received a great turnout each week.
Maintaining a strong connection between home and school is vital for our community, and we continually strive to find ways to integrate the two. In December, we gave each family an ornament to showcase something they were thankful for. As a result, we created a remarkable Gratitude Tree that adorned the entrance to our gym during the Winter performance, welcoming families. It was amazing to witness the community coming together to make a collaborative piece of art.
In addition to Christmas, our school recognized Diwali, Lunar New Year, and National Indigenous People's Day.
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. When students have strong SEL skills, they are better able to manage the stress and anxiety that can come with academic tasks, and they are more motivated and engaged in their learning. SEL helps students develop the self-regulation and executive functioning skills they need to succeed academically.
These skills are embedded in all subject areas in BC's curriculum. Below, we celebrate our learners' successes and strengths in the area of:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
Our leaners can identify their emotions and use stress management strategies.
Our learners participate in daily regulation times after each outside break. They are being taught explicit instructions through a variety of SEL programs to enhance their abilities to recognize and understand emotions, specifically before academic learning tasks begin.
Regulation time is a set part of a class schedule, that occurs three times a day: First thing in the morning, after recess, and after lunch. This allows the students to transition smoothly from outside time to the learning environment. It also builds the student’s capacity for self-awareness and self-management.
During regulation time, there is soft, instrumental music playing
Expectations of Regulation Time:
Music playing is calm/soft/no lyrics which helps signal to the students and adults in the room that it is time to check-in and regulate (or practice a regulation strategy).
Students are quietly practicing or using a regulation strategy.
Teacher is sitting quietly at their seat (ideally modelling a regulation strategy).
Slowly, as the students learn how to check-in and how to use regulation strategies, the amount of choice they have increases. You can decide what strategy to focus on in the beginning, and then slowly give them more control over their choices as they gain more experience with the Regulation Time process.
Regulation Time teaching progression:
Step 1 – Introduce what Check-ins are / how do we check-in? (self-aware)
Step 2 - Introduce what regulation is / what does it means to regulate?
Step 3 – Introduce new regulation strategy once per week or once per month / how do we regulate? (self-manage).
Step 4 – Consistently reflect on regulation time (what did you see that was expected or not expected).
Step 5 – Have students reflect on their own use of regulation time .
OUR FOCUS
We know that teaching Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools is important for several reasons. These include improving academic performance, behaviour, positive relationships and future success as well as increasing the capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation.
Our cohort is a group of intermediate students who participate in daily regulation times after each break. They are also being taught explicit instructions to enhance their abilities to recognize and understand emotions, specifically before academic learning tasks in numeracy begin.
Learning Goals:
Self-Awareness: Students will develop awareness of their own thinking processes and be able to use this knowledge to regulate their learning during numeracy tasks. For example, they may use self-questioning techniques to monitor their understanding or identify areas where they need further practice.
Emotional regulation: Students will develop strategies to manage their emotions during numeracy tasks, such as frustration, anxiety or boredom, by using techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk.
While our focus remains on numeracy, these learning goals transfer across all subject areas.
OUR NEXT STEPS
The small group of students have shown remarkable progress in employing regulation strategies while tackling complex numeracy tasks. Notably, they have successfully decreased task avoidance behaviors, actively engaging in challenging math activities instead of avoiding them. Additionally, these students have significantly increased their self-advocacy skills, confidently expressing their needs and seeking support when faced with difficulties. Through the development of self-regulation techniques, their improved focus, resilience, and problem-solving abilities have contributed to notable improvements in their mathematical learning outcomes. This growth has instilled a sense of accomplishment and self-assurance, empowering the students to overcome challenges and thrive in their numeracy pursuits.
One particular student has shown incredible growth in their ability to stick with math tasks over the year. At the beginning, they felt very anxious and often left the classroom during math class. They didn't finish their work most of the time. But now, they have gained more self-confidence and use strategies to help them overcome their worries. They complete a lot more assignments and only leave the classroom once in a while. This big improvement shows how they have become more resilient and sure of themselves, and they can now face difficult math tasks with determination and confidence.
As a school, we are committed to moving forward with our social and emotional goals, particularly in developing a greater capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation. Moving ahead, we have plans to explore how these essential skills can further enhance our growth in numeracy. Additionally, we recognize the potential benefits of integrating these skills into our Language Arts curriculum, aiming to explore and leverage their positive impact on students' language and literacy development. By prioritizing social and emotional learning across subject areas, we are fostering a holistic approach to education that supports students' overall well-being and academic success.
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.
