I. General Information
School Name: Southern Okanagan Secondary School
School District: SD#53 Okanagan Similkameen
Inquiry Team Members: Cam Adam: cadam@sd53.bc.ca
Naryn Searcy: nsearcy@sd53.bc.ca
Brad Burns: bburns@sd53.bc.ca
Susan Beyer: sbeyer@sd53.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: cadam@sd53.bc.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: Indigenous Education Impact Initiative
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)
Curricular Areas Addressed: Not applicable
Focus Addressed: Local Indigenous Knowledges, Land, Nature or Place-based learning, Other: LEA, Welcoming Indigenous Students
In one sentence, what is your focus for the 3-year cycle? How to support success for Indigenous students at SOSS through belonging, by addressing staff bias and working with the band on a new LEA.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Connections to Year 1: We had a refocus onto the new LEA we are writing with OIB. This is due to the scanning in year 1, where both SOSS and OIB surveyed OIB students on school attendance.
New Educator Professional Learning: This year was less new professional learning than it was working with OIB directly. Staff learning centered around a district focus on Indigenous pedagogy in professional development opportunities. Staff are participating in a District Pro-D Day in September that has come from this work focused on connecting schools staff to local place through guided visits to OIB.
Taking Action:
– Co-writing the LEA with OIB
– Revising processes for all school processes around communication, learning, discipline, attendance, and course changes
– Biggest change has been an improvement in communication between OIB and SOSS and greater collaboration with regard to student success
– Another strategy has been SOSS staff attending many education dinners and events in OIB community
– SOSS staff hosted family conferences in community
Reflections for Year 2:
– Connection and relationships are key
– Relationships and trust take time and intentionality to build
– Sometimes we have to hear hard truths and perspectives
– Approach with an open mind and an open heart
– Shared goals
– Showing up matters
– Families and communities care
Plans for Year 3:
– Staff education around the LEA, bias and privilege
– Education for staff in community
– Planning grade-wide cultural learning opportunities for all students in the school