I. General Information
School Name: Hazelgrove Elementary
School District: SD#36 Surrey
Inquiry Team Members: Katie Vincent – Vincent_k@surreyschools.ca
Amber Geremia – Geremia_a@surreyschools.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: vincent_k@surreyschools.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3)
Curricular Areas Addressed: Applied Design, skills & Technology, Arts Education, Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts – Writing, Physical & Health Education, Science, Social Studies
Focus Addressed: Local Indigenous Knowledges, Literacy, Land, Nature or Place-based learning
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Our focus for the year was to deepen students’ sense of belonging, stewardship, and connection to the land through Indigenous story work, and place-based learning.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Scanning: Our scanning process involved observing students during discussions, story experiences, and outdoor learning opportunities, while listening carefully to their questions, wonderings, and reflections about the land and their community. We used the key questions, “What is going on for our learners?” and “How do we know?” to guide our observations and conversations. Through this process, we learned that students were highly curious about nature and the places where they live and learn, but had limited understanding of Indigenous perspectives and connections to the land. The First Peoples Principles of Learning informed our scanning by emphasizing that learning is embedded in memory, history, story, and relationships, while the OECD principles highlighted the importance of learner voice, engagement, and meaningful, authentic learning experiences. Listening to our learners helped us identify a focus on building belonging, stewardship, and connection through Indigenous story work, place-based learning, and community relationships.
Focus: We selected this area because our scanning revealed that students were eager to learn more about the land, local stories, and their connection to the community, but had limited opportunities to engage with Indigenous perspectives in meaningful and authentic ways. We wanted to create learning experiences that would strengthen students’ sense of belonging, respect for the land, and understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing. Through Indigenous story work, place-based learning, and community relationships, we hoped students would develop a deeper connection to where they live and learn, become more confident in sharing their thinking, and see themselves as caring stewards of the land and active members of their community.
Hunch: Our hunch was that many students were not spending enough time learning outdoors and, as a result, had limited opportunities to develop meaningful connections with the natural environment. While students were learning about nature and their local environment, they had few opportunities to engage with Indigenous perspectives, stories, and ways of knowing in authentic, place-based contexts. We also believed that students would benefit from more opportunities to learn alongside peers from different grade levels. We believed that by increasing opportunities for cross-grade collaboration, outdoor learning, and exploration of local Indigenous stories, students would develop a stronger sense of belonging, a deeper understanding of place, enhanced oral language and leadership skills, and a greater responsibility for caring for the land and one another.
New Professional Learning: Through this inquiry, we explored Indigenous storywork, place-based learning, and ways of authentically integrating Indigenous perspectives into our classrooms. A valuable resource was learning about Jo-ann Archibald’s Indigenous Storywork principles, particularly the importance of learning through story, relationships, reflection, and respect. This learning helped us think more deeply about how stories can be experienced, shared, and retold in ways that honour multiple perspectives and connections.
Local Indigenous stories were some of our most valuable resources. Exploring stories connected to the land where we live and learn helped us better understand how story, place, identity, and community are interconnected. These stories provided meaningful entry points for students to develop relationships with the land and to recognize that stories carry important teachings and ways of knowing.
An important aspect of our professional learning was the opportunity to collaborate and learn from one another. As teachers from different grade levels, we brought different strengths, experiences, and perspectives to the inquiry. Through regular conversations, co-planning, sharing resources, and reflecting on student learning, we deepened our understanding together.
Taking Action: To deepen students’ connections to land, story, and community, we intentionally integrated Indigenous perspectives and place-based learning throughout the year. We began by inviting students to share their questions and wonderings about the land where they live and learn. These inquiries guided many of our learning experiences and helped students see themselves as active participants in the learning process.
We regularly engaged students in outdoor learning experiences, encouraging them to observe seasonal changes, explore local natural spaces, document their discoveries through drawings and writing, and reflect on their relationships with the land. Students participated in nature walks, sit spots, and stewardship activities that promoted observation, curiosity, and care for the environment.
In my class, kindergarten students explored the idea of special places by identifying and reflecting on locations that were meaningful to them. Students shared why these places were important and connected personal experiences and memories to these locations. Using scrap fabric and other materials, students created individual story mats that represented their special places. They used these story mats to orally tell and retell personal stories, practicing storytelling skills and sharing their experiences with peers. Through this process, students strengthened their confidence as storytellers and developed an understanding of how stories connect people to place.
Inspired by their enthusiasm for story mats, both of our classes collaborated on a larger community storytelling project. Together, we explored the traditional Stólō story How the Coho Got His Hooked Nose by Teresa Michell. Students listened to, discussed, and retold the story in their own words, focusing on the teachings, relationships, and connections to place embedded within the narrative. Working collaboratively, students needle-felted a large-scale story mat representing key events and characters from the story. The completed story mat became a powerful tool for oral storytelling, allowing students to practice retelling the story and eventually share it with the entire school community. Through this experience, students learned that stories are meant to be shared, remembered, and passed on through relationships and community.
The cross-grade partnership became an important part of the learning experience. The grade 2/3 students were excited to take on leadership roles as buddies, supporting and encouraging the Kindergarten students throughout the project. The younger students looked to their older peers as mentors, while the older students developed confidence, responsibility, and pride in sharing their knowledge and skills. Through these relationships, students learned from one another and experienced how stories can bring people together across ages and experiences.
Through this experience, students learned that stories are meant to be shared, remembered, and passed on through relationships and community. They also developed a deeper understanding that places hold stories and memories for individuals, families, and communities.
2025-2026 Inquiry Project
Checking: We observed meaningful growth in students’ understanding of and connection to the land. Evidence of change came from student conversations, reflections, learning journals, artwork, inquiry projects, and observations during outdoor learning experiences. Students began using more respectful and informed language when discussing the land and Indigenous stories, asked deeper questions about place and belonging, and demonstrated increased awareness of how they could care for their environment and community.
Students showed greater confidence in sharing their ideas and making connections between stories, the natural world, and their own experiences. They increasingly recognized that learning happens through relationships, story, and connection to place. While we were encouraged by the growth we observed, we also recognized that developing authentic understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing is ongoing work. We were satisfied with the progress made this year and saw strong evidence that these experiences fostered curiosity, belonging, stewardship, and respect. At the same time, we identified opportunities to continue strengthening partnerships with Indigenous community members and expanding place-based learning experiences in the future.
Reflections/Advice: This inquiry reinforced for us the importance of slowing down, listening to student voice, and creating learning experiences that are grounded in relationships, story, and place. We learned that even our youngest learners are capable of engaging thoughtfully with Indigenous perspectives when provided with authentic opportunities to connect with the land, ask questions, and learn through experience. We also learned that meaningful place-based learning deepens students’ sense of belonging, stewardship, and responsibility to their community.
Moving forward, we plan to continue strengthening our understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and deepen our relationships with local Indigenous community members and knowledge keepers. We hope to expand opportunities for land-based learning across the curriculum and create more regular experiences that connect students with local stories, places, and community.
Our advice to other schools is to begin with curiosity, relationships, and student voice. Start small by spending time outdoors, listening to students’ questions, and exploring the stories connected to your local place. Seek guidance from Indigenous educators and community partners, approach the work with humility and respect, and recognize that this learning is an ongoing journey rather than a destination. The most meaningful learning often comes from building authentic connections, to the land, to one another, and to the stories that shape our communities.