Vision to Goal Setting
What is our Vision for Learning?
What is our vision for learning?
The Ross Road school community of students, staff members and families work together to create and sustain an environment that encompasses and promotes our vision.
Vision
The School Community of Ross Road strives to support potential for all that values diversity and is built in a safe and caring environment.
At Ross Road we value…
Ross Road is welcoming, caring and inclusive. We foster a culture of engaged learners and critical thinkers, who are responsible and respectful. As a school community we promote a sense of belonging for all.
Goals
To create a culture of kindness and inclusivity in the Ross Road school community through the intentional and systematic teaching of social emotional learning skills.
To create a culture inclusive of Indigenous worldview by intentionally and purposefully integrating Indigenous content, knowledge and worldviews.
We acknowledge that in order to achieve success with these goal we need to:
- grow the social emotional competencies of all leaners
make consistent and ongoing efforts to promote and support inclusion as it relates to equity, anti-racism and diversity
- include the First Peoples Principles of Learning and Indigenous worldview
Planning & Implementation
What is our Action Plan?
Much like the previous school year, we began 2021-2022 by prioritizing health and safety, with a shift to a gradual return to regular school based activities. We made it our priority to emphasize social emotional learning and equity for all.
We began our second year implementation of our school-wide Second Step program. This included weekly Principal’s announcements and communications to families. Teachers explored the themes of Kindness & Inclusivity with students through their focus on acquiring and applying the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. As a staff we committed to support the intentional teaching of pro-social behaviours for all leaners.
We made a commitment to continue prioritizing the First Peoples Principles of Learning in all aspects of our day. We created a school based Indigenous Ed team who collaborated closely with a District Indigenous Educator to meaningfully embed Indigenous content and knowledge  and to show Ross Road’s commitment to TRC 63 ii:
    “sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Aboriginal history.”
We are in the process of exploring equity and working towards a common understanding of the importance of representation and respect for all. As a staff we have broached important concepts on how to intentionally create safe spaces in our school for all members of our community to thrive.Â
School Planning Team Members
Administrators, teachers, support staff, parents and students.
Monitor Evaluate & Adapt
What are our Indicators of Progress?
Indicators of progress
We continuously examine how our School Plan informs and reflects our values and our practice, by identifying and deepening the alignment between our goals, our decisions and our actions. We continue to consider the connection between our School Plan and our practice in the following areas:
- Professional development and collaboration activities
- Learning resources and budget choices
- Indigenous Ways of Knowing
- Equity based learning and practices
- Curriculum and instruction
- Communication and engagement of our school community
- Communication with families
Next steps
- Examine student-centered data to drive objectivesÂ
- Continue to teach the Second Step program school-wide
- Continue to prioritize professional development around social-emotional learning and the First Peoples Principles of Learning & the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action
- Continue to engage in professional development opportunities about prioritizing equity in our teaching practices
Communicating Progress
How do we Communicate our Progress?
Goal: To foster a culture of kindness and inclusivity in the Ross Road school community.
- Second Step implementation
- Intentional teaching of pro-social behaviours
- Acknowledgement, Inquiry, and honouring important dates
- School Based Indigenous Ed Team
- Student driven SOGI Club: We R’ Us
- Restorative justice focus
- Trauma-informed practice
- Use of Zones of regulation
- Classroom meetings
- Assemblies and Announcement
- School Wide Activities
Goal: To intentionally and purposefully integrate Indigenous content, knowledge, and worldviews.
Regularly acknowledge the traditional and unceeded territory of theSkwxwú7mesh Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
Worked closely this year with Sydney Doucet, a District Indigenous Educator to authentically implement Indigenous ways into our weekly practice.
Participated in three school wide community drum circles and sang the Coast Salish Anthem, the Eagle Song and the Wolf Dance.
We continue to learn about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and First Peoples Principles of Learning across the curriculum and focus on the TRC Calls to Action.
We care for salmon eggs until they are ready to be released in our neighbourhood creek. A First Nations educator shares the history of salmon with students from an Indigenous perspective and shares stories of salmon from the local Squamish and Tseil-Watuuth Nations.
Students participated in weaving led by a District Indigenous educator.
Students made and gifted drums to our school and shared their learning and teaching with the rest of the school.
Members of the School Based Indigenous Ed team used a MTV routine to teach the Communication Competency through and Indigenous Lens.
Students explore Indigenous knowledge, history, and culture from educators from the Cheakamus Centre.
The 2021-2022 school year was filled with cautious optimism as we slowly began returning to innovative and interactive activities that were limited the past two school years. Despite having to be flexible at certain pressure points during the year, staff, students, and the Ross Road community worked conscientiously to bring people back together. The School Planning Team collected student-driven data to begin the process of creating objectives for our school goals. Centered around Making Thinking Visible Routines, Indigenous Education, Social Emotional Learning, SOGI and Trauma-Informed practice, the school community participated in initiatives focussed on inclusion, representation, and kindness. These events included:
A school wide teaching of a Making Thinking Visible routine around the Communication Competency through an Indigenous Lens.
The return of school sports and clubs including volleyball, basketball, track & field, ultimate, Band & Strings, chess, and book club
Student led assemblies led by members of the We Râ Us club (SOGI club)
Whole school drum circles to sing the Coast Salish Anthem, the Wolf song and the Eagle song.
Drum making
Squamish wool weaving
Raising salmon
Buddy activities
Rainbow run organized by the We Râ Us Club
What is next the 2022-2023 school year?
In the Fall we will be using momentum gained through initiatives this past year to drive our school forward. With a focus on kindness, collaboration and community among students, the school planning team is using student-driven data to generate objectives to guide our school goals.
A primary focus for 2022-2023 will be creating a culture of kindness and inclusion with an explicit look at the power of language.
Kindness:
Positive behaviour interventions & support plans to address school-wide behaviours (more for language and kindness, less aggression and violence)
Student-driven (not just from the SOGI club, intentionally addressed in the classroom by student leaders)
Language of Kindness
School Communication Dictionary
Student inspired, teacher driven, family re-enforced
High school or college mentors to connect with students about personal experiences
School-wide â assemblies with Second Step and ParachuteÂ
Everyday Speech
Virtue of the Week- announcements
Leadership Initiatives for Challenging Students
Inclusivity:
House Teams:
Takaya â Wolf (Yellow)
Salmon (Red)
Bear (Green)
Eagle (Blue)
Indigenous Elder Sponsors
Leadership Activities
SEL Initiatives (Stars of the Week â Acknowledging Positive Behaviour on the Playground)Â
Team Challenges
Activities relating to the core values:
Kindness
IndigenousÂ
Sustainability
Ways to Integrate French and English School CommunitiesÂ
Team TeachingÂ
Inter-Class Activities Grade Specific EventsÂ
Create a culture inclusive of Indigenous World views:
Maintain Indigenous Learning Committee: Â
Indigenous Renaming of SchoolÂ