I. General Information
School Name: Fraser Wood Elementary
School District: SD#36 Surrey
Inquiry Team Members: Elana Miller miller_e@surreyschools.ca, Anne McNamee mcnamee_surreyschools.ca, Sean Chambers chambers_s@surreyschools.ca, Cheryl Chung chung_c@surreyschools.ca, Azita Sauder sauder_a@surreyschools.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: miller_e@surreyschools.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)
Curricular Areas Addressed: Physical & Health Education, Social Studies
Focus Addressed: Indigenous Focus (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving)
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Building a sense of community for Indigenous students and pride in their culture through celebration.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Scanning: “Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.” This First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) teaching resonates most deeply with the heart of our case study.
Through our initial scanning process, we observed that our Indigenous students were generally positive, resilient, and socially connected. While many of them experience unique learning needs and face complex circumstances outside of school, they consistently demonstrate strength, adaptability, and a desire to belong. Our goal was to nurture a deeper sense of safety, love, and community within the school environment. We aimed to affirm their cultural identity, foster pride in their Indigenous heritage, and build meaningful, caring relationships that extend across the school and into the broader community.
Focus: We selected this area because we recognized a need to strengthen our Indigenous learners’ sense of belonging, identity, and connection—both within the school and the wider community. While our students demonstrate resilience and positivity, many face learning challenges and complex life circumstances. We hoped to create a more culturally affirming and emotionally supportive environment that would help them feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are. By fostering stronger relationships and celebrating Indigenous culture through school and community events, we aimed to enhance their confidence, engagement, and overall well-being.
Hunch: Our hunch was that by deepening the already strong foundation of inclusivity and cultural respect in our school, we could create even more meaningful opportunities for our Indigenous learners to thrive. We believed that increasing connections to culture, community, and identity—through intentional programming and shared experiences—would further support their sense of belonging and well-being. This wasn’t about fixing a gap, but about enriching what was already working and continuing to grow in ways that honour our students’ strengths and stories.
New Professional Learning: Our professional learning centered on deepening our understanding of how to build stronger, more culturally grounded relationships with Indigenous students and families. We reflected on the importance of relational learning, cultural visibility, and creating spaces where students feel a deep sense of belonging and pride in their identity.
We learned through experience—by participating in community events hosted by the local high school, engaging in conversations with families, and collaborating with colleagues across schools. These moments helped us see the value of presence, consistency, and shared celebration in building trust.
Hands-on learning also played a key role. Through the Sport For Life program, staff were introduced to traditional Indigenous games, which offered a meaningful way to connect physical activity with cultural learning. These experiences helped us grow our confidence in bringing Indigenous content into our classrooms in respectful and engaging ways.
This learning was not about a single resource or workshop, but about ongoing reflection, relationship-building, and a shared commitment to walking alongside our Indigenous students and families with care and intention.
Taking Action: Our team took several intentional steps to strengthen relationships with Indigenous students and families and to bring cultural learning into the daily life of the school. We supported and attended two evening events hosted by the local high school, ensuring our Indigenous families felt welcomed and connected. These events helped build trust and familiarity with the broader school community.
Within our own school, we implemented regular check-ins with Indigenous students to foster stronger relationships and ensure they felt supported. We also introduced traditional Indigenous games into classrooms through the Sport For Life program. Staff first learned the games together, then co-taught them with students, creating a shared learning experience. These games are now available in resource tubs for ongoing use.
For National Indigenous Peoples Day, we celebrated with a school-wide bannock delivery, organized by Cheryl Chung and distributed by Indigenous students and their families. This act of sharing food and culture helped foster pride and visibility in a meaningful and joyful way.
Each of these actions was rooted in relationship-building, cultural celebration, and a commitment to creating a school environment where Indigenous students feel seen, valued, and connected.
Checking: Yes, we believe we made a meaningful difference. The success of our efforts was evident in the strong turnout and engagement at the community events, the positive feedback from families, and the visible pride shown by our Indigenous students—especially during moments like the bannock delivery, where they took on leadership roles in sharing their culture with the school.
We also noticed increased connection and confidence among students who had previously been more reserved. Staff reported stronger relationships and more frequent, positive interactions with Indigenous learners. The traditional games became a highlight for many classes, and their continued use is a sign that this learning has become embedded in our school culture. While there is always more to learn and do, we feel proud of the steps we’ve taken and satisfied that our actions have helped create a more inclusive, connected, and culturally affirming environment for our Indigenous students and their families.
Photo Descriptions: The first picture is of the students and parents delivering bannock. The second picture is of my students learning Indigenous games for P.E. Click on image to enlarge.
Reflections/Advice: This inquiry reinforced the importance of building relationships, creating space for cultural learning, and approaching this work as an ongoing journey rather than a one-time initiative. We learned that small, consistent actions—like checking in with students, celebrating culture through food and games, and showing up for community events—can have a lasting impact.
Looking ahead, we plan to continue evolving our approach by introducing new cultural learning opportunities each year. We’re already working early to bring in more Indigenous presenters, knowing how in-demand they are. We also see great value in expanding community-of-schools events, which help strengthen connections across schools and deepen the sense of belonging for students and families.
Our advice to other schools is to start with relationships and build from there. You don’t need to do everything at once—just keep moving forward with intention. Each year, do something new, deepen your connections, and stay open to learning alongside your students and families.