Creating a strong school environment means building a system where students, families and educators have the support and resources they need to succeed. Schools need to meet students where they are at and ensure equitable access to education for everyone.
Expanding Communication and Engagement
A strong school community relies on strong relationships between the School District, educators, support staff, students and families.
Actions:
- Ensure that communications to students and families are accessible, timely and easy to engage with.
- Build partnerships to expand communications in other languages.
- Improve and create formal processes for communication between Student Council and School Board.
Championing Students with Diverse Learning Needs
An equitable learning environment means ensuring that our students with diverse learning needs receive the support they deserve. This means that no students and families fall through the cracks.
Actions:
- Work with the Province to secure increased funding to ensure students have access to the resources and supports they need to succeed.
- Review and strengthen current supports for diverse learners, including improving wraparound supports, and advocating for alternative and sustainable funding models.
- Tackle the long wait times for students to receive designations by looking at the whole process, addressing bottlenecks and considering how we can improve internal testing.
Improving Mental Health Outcomes
The mental health of students greatly impacts their ability to learn and grow in the school environment. Students need better access to mental health supports, receiving help in the moment when it's needed.
Actions:
- Advocate to the province for increased funding for counsellors.
- Increase the counsellor to student ratio to improve access to mental health supports for students.
Supporting Indigenous Students
Improving school success for Indigenous students requires that the School District understand the needs of these students and take collaborative action to address them.
Actions:
- Focus on improving Indigenous student learning outcomes.
- In collaboration with the Indigenous Education council, develop stronger wrap around supports and partnerships with Indigenous organizations, leaders and teachers.
- Develop processes for increased understanding of the needs of Indigenous students.
Curriculum That Cares
Curriculum should reflect all students’ needs and interests. Our School District must continue to maintain strong policies that support all learners.
Actions:
- Investigate the inclusion of AI education in higher grades to teach responsible and safe AI use.
- Ban the use of generative AI in elementary classrooms.
- Reaffirm the District’s commitment to maintaining access to SOGI educational resources and prioritize the development of clear and transparent communications for teachers, families, and students on the importance of SOGI.
- Support the long-term sustainability of our programs of choice, including Montessori, French immersion and the Hume Park Home Learners.
Getting Kids to School
Ensuring that students have safe, reliable ways to get to school and are able to choose the option that works best for them.
Actions:
- Partner with the City on improved safety around routes to school, school zones, and pick-up/drop-off points, including temporarily calming traffic around pickup/dropoff times.
- Expand on the success of the Qayqayt walking school bus and extend the program to more schools.
- Improve bike infrastructure at schools, so students and staff have secure spaces to keep their bikes.
Expanding Childcare
Expanding childcare makes sense for families and the larger school community. It allows us to make best use of our resources and better support young learners.
Actions:
- Expanding access to before and after school spaces on school grounds, better supporting families and students.
- Ensure childcare space is planned for in new schools.
- Provide opportunities for existing part-time School District staff to increase their hours and transition to full time positions.
- Explore pathways for the School District to become a childcare provider, allowing more robust use of space and creating a potential revenue stream.
Proactive School Spaces
School districts need to be building and planning for the future, taking into consideration the changing needs of the community.
Actions:
- Reduce overcrowding and the number of portables required for students.
- Work with the province to ensure that infrastructure investment in the district supports the growing population and ensure new schools maximize the use of space.
- Continue to prioritize climate resilient infrastructure and learning spaces.
- Work with the City in developing agreements on the shared use of green spaces and maximize opportunities for community uses of school spaces.
- Advocate with the city to put grass or turf on existing gravel fields.
- Develop landscape policy to support ecological education and mental health, including the incorporation of biodiverse native species.
- Design new and renovated schoolyards with gathering spaces for students.