School Name: Capitol Hill Elementary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Christina Croft – christina.disalvo@burnabyschools.ca
Nicole Quin – nicole.quin@burnabyschools.ca
Janet Lieu – janet.lieu@burnabyschools.ca
Elysha Fong – elysha.fong@burnabyschools.ca
Bavan Arora – Bavandeep.arora@burnabyschools.ca
Kara Sewell – kara.sewell@burnabyschools.ca
Carla Brancati – carla.brancati@burnabyschools.ca
Susan.Cox – susan.cox@burnabyschools.ca
Lindsey Bogunovic – Lindsay.bogunovic@burnabyschools.ca
Liane Karvelis – liane.karvelis@burnabyschools.ca
Stephanie Lundrigan – stephanie.lundrigan@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: stephanie.lundrigan@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: Numeracy & Literacy Project

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Reading

Focus Addressed: Literacy, Formative assessment, Self-regulation

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Our focus was improving literacy practice in the primary grades by making it more intentional and more inclusive.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: Most of the students involved in this project are very young. For many of the learners, self-regulation is a major factor. However, they are certainly able to say who they know believes in them at the school. They also do want to do well and have a sense of where they are going with their learning. For the students who are requiring the greatest amount of support with their learning, the answers to these questions also provide some insight. Both the First Peoples Principal of Learning and the OECD Seven Principles were considered in the Scanning as well as the Taking Action parts of this project. We wanted the learning to be hands on and engaging. Play was an important factor as was the opportunity to work with a friend. It was important that all students felt connected and in charge of their learning. Story needed to have a huge part of this project – many of these students were involved in Year 1 of this project where the Story Workshop and oral language were the focus. We needed to presume competence for each learner and continue to work through challenges. As mentioned previously, assessment played a continual and important role.

Focus: We were hoping to improve literacy (reading) outcomes for our students. We were concerned with the literacy acquisition of five Indigenous students in grades 1 and 2. We had been tracking them for the past year. We also wanted to make sure that any literacy intervention did not make them feel singled out or less than. We wanted to deliver targeted instruction that met their specific assessed stretches while continuing to make sure they felt like strong and capable members of their classroom community.

Hunch: There was room at school to build on our capacity in providing focused literacy intervention at the primary level that was evidence-based and driven by assessment. We also had hunches about the capacity that could be gained from the primary teachers collaborating on sharing their knowledge and experience and developing new understandings about reading instruction.

New Professional Learning: We explored formative assessment and its importance in driving instruction. We utilized a variety of assessments targeting phonemic awareness, concepts of print, and decoding fluency. We collaborated in a variety of ways – large group and small group. We really came to recognize the value in collaboration and sharing professional understandings.

Taking Action:
• We assessed each student for letter knowledge, concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding/fluency and reading comprehension.
• Using this data, we grouped the grade one and two students (three combined classes) into six different groups. These small groups would move to an appointed area four days a week from 11:15 to 12:00. This was to prevent anyone from feeling that they were being singled out. In these smaller groups, they would receive explicit instruction in their area of stretches indicated by the assessment. They would also participate in engaging learning activities.
• We had plans to group the grade two/three and grade three classes in a similar fashion, but when we looked at the data, over ninety percent of the students were reading at a proficient level. After rich conversations, it was decided not to create groups, students would stay in their classrooms with the exception of a few students who continued to receive targeted intervention.
• Students were assessed frequently to make sure the instruction was useful
• Students were assessed using the EPRA and some of the same methods from September in January and again in May.
• In April, the kindergarten students were assessed using the EPRA and then the phonemic awareness screener. A small group intervention was created four days a week for 25 minutes.

Checking:
• In the somewhat narrow sense of improving literacy outcomes, we did make a significant difference for a great many of our learners. However, in terms of overall literacy there is still a great deal of work we can be doing to support our learners.
• There continues to be a small number of students going into grade 2 and 3 levels who continue to require significant support in literacy acquisition. Looking at the work they did and the work we did, we have arrived at a new hunch that their learning is different than that anticipated in a typical literacy program (e.g the scope and sequence provided by Heggerty and/or UFLI). They have made progress however, it is not linear and it is very unique to each student. We have realized that it is vitally important to stay in tune with each student’s learner and carefully monitor their growth. Again, the idea of presuming competence and holding high expectations is so important.
• Along with the anecdotal evidence we collected each day, we also used the assessment data from the start of the year, in January, and, in May. This allowed us to see where progress occurred and where new intervention is needed.
• We are satisfied with the collaborative work the educators carried out together. It was rewarding and professionally fulfilling to share and work toward this joint goal.

Reflections/Advice: We were reminded of the importance of creating a plan and collaborating to see it through. We were reminded of the power of collaboration and the important role it plays in education. We can achieve more by working together than we can individually.

It is hoped that this inquiry will continue in September and that the first step will be assessing each learner to get an accurate sense of what they truly need to progress. The advice for other schools would be to spend the time getting to know each other and making a concrete plan to follow. Assessment needs to have a major role. Working together to improve the literacy outcomes of the smallest learners is an important project to embark on as the entire school will benefit eventually. This may mean a refocusing on money and resources.

School Name: Capitol Hill Elementary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members:
Stephanie Lundrigan: stephanie.lundrigan@burnabyschools.ca
Nicole Quin: nicole.quin@burnabyschools.ca
Christine diSalvo: christine.disalvo@burnabyschools.ca
Elysha Fong: elysha.fong@burnabyschools.ca
Brandon Mulholland: brandon.mulholland@burnabyschools.ca
Lindsey Bogunovich: lindsey.bogunovich@burnabyschools.ca
Jessica Filippelli: jessica.filippelli@burnabyschools.ca
Shelley Janvier: shelley.janvier@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: stephanie.lundrigan@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: Numeracy & Literacy Project

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Writing, Other: Social Emotional Learning – belonging//confidence

Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Experiential learning, Growth mindset, Inclusion and inclusive instructional strategies, Social and emotional learning, Universal design for learning

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Our focus for the Numeracy and Literacy Project was strengthening literacy through the strengthening of oral language, hands-on learning, community building and Indigenous story.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: At the start of the year, students in grades 1-7 completed a survey which included the four questions. The majority could name two adults in the school who believed in them, but often they were names of teachers from years past. While the majority of students are developing-proficient in their learning, many seemed only superficially interested in their learning (maybe as something that was being done to them?). This will be part of a new Inquiry for the 2024-25 school year.

Our focus this year as part of the Literacy and Numeracy Project was taking measures and implementing steps to improve literacy outcomes for Indigenous students and, in conjunction, their classmates. We did consider the results of this survey. However, the inspiration was, really, an incoming kindergarten student.

Focus: For the Literacy and Numeracy Project, we chose Literacy based on the survey above, the September reading assessments we carried out with each student (gr 1-7) and largely because of an initial meeting we had with a kindergarten student and their family at the start of the school year. We were hoping that we could strengthen oral language, student engagement, community building and a wider appreciation for the power of experiential based learning through Story Workshop.

As part of a staff survey which indicated they were interested in building their understanding of Indigenous worldview, we incorporated Indigenous story and picture books into each Story Workshop lesson. Those books remained highly visible and available for staff to borrow.

Hunch: The school is focused on learning and, in response to family expectations, could be secure in more traditional methods of education. Understanding the OECD Seven Principles and supporting families in arriving at those understandings would be beneficial. Having ‘permission’ to participate in more play-based, land-based and collaborative structures which viewed all learners as capable would be helpful.

New Professional Learning: We explored learner-centred experiential learning, collaboration with teachers and students within the building, across the district and in the community. We all gained an appreciation of the power of oral language, of collaboration, and Indigenous story. We have a better understanding of the potential of taking time to recognize the gifts each child brings.

Taking Action: Our team decided upon implementing Story Workshop as a way to build oral language and as an understanding of the elements of story to strengthen literacy skills, including literacy acquisition skills in kindergarten. My role was included as a learning support teacher and as the Indigenous Learning Inquiry Teacher.

Our SLP was involved. This project was helpful for her as SLP services in our district has switched over to a more MTSS, less clinical method of providing support to learners. Our librarian was involved and provided Story Workshop opportunities to a range of upper immediate classes as part of their library instruction.

Lessons were provided weekly and included an ‘author share’. Documentation of the students working was captured and shared. As the year progressed, recording the story in writing was also added to the learning activity. This provided a really authentic opportunity to discuss how authors revise and edit their work.

Kindergarten Story Workshop Author’s Share: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-Fq4ba4ICtM 

Checking: Our students were engaged. Our staff were engaged. They were enthusiastic about this project. The two or three wonder children made significant progress – in their individual steps to literacy acquisition as well as classroom engagement and self-confidence. It is clear that they see themselves as learners. Two of the ‘wonder children’ were grade 2 boys who had been involved in many playground altercations. Since April they have independently taken on a leadership role on the playground and come to the office with a crew to initiate problem solving circles. They no longer are reluctant to participate in literacy activities in the classroom.

The baseline data used for this project was a student intake meeting, a private SLP report and Children’s Hospital report, the grade 1-7 student surveys, reading/literacy assessment (DART/EPRA, PM Benchmark, Concepts of Print), as well as observations and casual conferences in September.

Reflections/Advice: The OECD Seven Principles guided us in our everyday, lived practice – learners see themselves as learners, learning is social and collaborative, there is emotional awareness, there is a sensitivity to individual differences including an incredible range in background knowledge, it is accessible to all learners, feedback was immediate and naturally involved adults and peers, it promoted horizontal connections for students (across grade levels) and staff – across school roles (LSS, classroom teachers, librarian) and district (SLP, district Indigenous Resource teacher), we invited in families and members of the community (Indigenous weavers).

Using this overall experience as a further baseline for future inquiry, I think it would be important to be more explicit with the OECD Seven Principles with staff, to really support that there is well researched evidence to promote these practices.

Our plan for September is to continue with this project – with a similar focus for kindergarten students, but a larger focus on writing for the primary students. In our context, it provides a lovely solution for creating authentic learning support opportunities and collaboration among staff. It also really allows for supporting students who require additional support with their learning in a respectful and engaging way. As a result, relationships with those children are strengthened as they do not feel ‘less than’ in the way they would in a traditional pullout intervention.

School Name: Moscrop Secondary Secondary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members:
Georgia Campbell <Georgia.Campbell@burnabyschools.ca>
Leanne Ellis <Leanne.Ellis@burnabyschools.ca>
Shelley Brown <Shelley.Brown@burnabyschools.ca>
Colleen Gaskell <Colleen.Gaskell@burnabyschools.ca>
Scott Spracklin <Scott.Spracklin@burnabyschools.ca>
Cristina Georgilas <Cristina.Georgilas@burnabyschools.ca>

Inquiry Team Contact Email: marta.pippomichielli@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Not applicable

Focus Addressed: Differentiated instruction, Flexible learning, Social and emotional learning, Transitions

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Build community and support transitions from grade 7 into grade 8.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: We utilized information gathered from students, and also from families about how students were feeling in their transitions. Students feel supported here, however, we observed feelings of apprehension and worry coming into Moscrop for our grade 8 students, in particular ones with IEPs. We wanted to increase support and a sense of community. We found in the First Peoples Principles of Learning that learning is holistic and that learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, which is most relevant to our observations. Some parents spoke about students not feeling supported in an authentic way in the past, or didn’t feel supported with their initial contact with the school, and this is something we really want to change.

This supported the formation of our goal of supporting each student’s well-being and place within the community, with the ultimate goal of fostering student success in the school.

Focus: We want to make sure every student feels supported before they even set foot into the building. We want to ensure students have a sense of community here that is authentic and closely connected. The changes we are hoping to see is: more connectedness, more involvement in cultural programming activities, and more student voice in our initiatives. Also, more support is needed for our incoming Indigenous students, in particular those with IEPs.

Hunch: Our community of Indigenous students at times, can feel a little disconnected due to building layout, inconsistency in Indigenous Success roles (lots of transitions in the roles), and being in a large school with a relatively low Indigenous population compared to other schools in the district.

School-wide policies around course scheduling for some struggling learners did not help incoming families feel welcomed or supported (especially those that were hoping to have support blocks built into their schedules).

Indigenous Success is a supportive structure built in that we want to continue building upon.

New Professional Learning: What new areas of professional learning did you explore? What resources were most helpful? What specific designs did you use to support the learning of your colleagues?

Pro-D around LD, diverse learners, inclusive classrooms, and UDL to help support diverse learners (and their teachers that are working with them).

NOIIE symposium is helpful to hear what other schools are doing to support and empower Indigenous learners.

Taking Action: We created a New-student Welcome in June last year for our students transitioning from grade 7 into grade 8. We invited students and their families in to connect and meet the team.

We went on an overnight field trip in September, during the second week of school, to an Indigenous cultural center. Students connected with one another and with Squamish culture.

Students participated in a district-wide Indigenous Youth Council. This led us to create a school-based Moscrop Indigenous Youth Council to increase student-voice, create student-led cultural initiatives, connect, and build community. Students are currently planning and hosting our 2nd annual New-student Welcome for transitioning students.

Our team attended grade 7 articulations at elementary schools with the counselling and LSS department to better understand who our incoming students are, what needs they have, and what supports they need. We attended school-based team meetings regularly to advocate for support of our Indigenous students’ academic needs. We supported students who are “double-blocked” with support blocks and electives.

Checking: The differences we made: having a greater sense of community in the school by:
– Students participating in district and school-based youth council
– Students are eager for more cultural programming initiatives next year
– Students are welcoming of new transitioning students
– More students in the All My Relations (Indigenous support) room on a regular basis, daily
– Grade 8 students reported feeling supported at the end of the school year
– All grade 12 students are graduating!

We feel that we made great progress this year. Our community building and support has improved greatly throughout the year. We still have a ways to go and plan to continue by:
– Meeting monthly for Indigenous Youth Council
– Plan more cultural programming initiatives
– Meet grade 7 students who will be transitioning earlier in the school year – making connections at their elementary school before transitioning
– More student-led initiatives
– Plan another over-night field trip for Spring 2025
– Plan a field trip or gathering for the 2nd week of September to gather as a community

Reflections/Advice: We learned that, as the First Peoples Principles of Learning state: learning involves patience and time. We look forward to continuing the journey and increasing our community and supports for our students.

The more opportunities we have to connect with students, highlight student voice, and support well-being, the more able we are to provide supports for academic success.

School Name: Moscrop Secondary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Cristina Georgilas – Cristina.Georgilas@burnabyschools.ca
Chris Sandor Chris.Sandor@burnabyschools.ca
Adele Cooshek Adele.Cooshek@burnabyschools.ca
Scott Spracklin Scott.Spracklin@burnabyschools.ca
Shelley Brown Shelley.Brown@burnabyschools.ca
Colleen Gaskell Colleen.Gaskell@burnabyschools.ca
Georgia Campbell Georgia.Campbell@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: marta.pippomichielli@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Transitions Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Not applicable

Focus Addressed: Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Flexible learning, Social and emotional learning, Transitions

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Welcoming students to the Moscrop community, and making them feel safe and comfortable to get support from teachers and support workers.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: We interviewed students a few times throughout the year. We noticed our learners were willing to engage in conversations with the adults that support them, and would in fact turn to them when they needed adult guidance.
We used the FPPL in our scanning process by practicing these areas:
***Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
***Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
***Learning involves patience and time.
Learning requires exploration of one‘s identity.

Focus: We wanted to support our learners in their transitions from Gr. 7 to 8, and from Gr.12 to post-secondary.

IIE Interview Questions

All Grades (8, 11, 12):

• Can you name 2 adults in this school you feel supported by?
• How do they show you? OR what makes you feel supported?
• How could they show you? (if they don’t have 2)
• Could you feel more supported? How?
• What are you learning and why is it important?
• Where are you going with your learning – how and what is your next step?

Grade 8s

• What were 1-2 positives and/or negatives about transitioning from elementary school to Moscrop?
• What would have helped make the transition more positive?

Grade 11s

• What do you feel would help you to be successful in your grade 12 year?

Grade 12s

• What are your plans for after graduation?
• What are you excited / nervous about?

Hunch: We wanted students to feel protected and safe, and when uncertain or not feeling balanced, we wanted to ensure that they had adults in the building they could turn to for help or support.

New Professional Learning: Our school community was doing a good job. Students were connecting with adults and they felt as though they could turn to them for help or support. Learning resources we used were: District or community Elders and our Indigenous District Principal – Rob Smyth. We shared food and had multiple gatherings with our youth.

Taking Action:

• Bringing kids together for lunches and gatherings.
• We had a welcome dinner for our incoming grade 7’s and their families on June 27th. It was a very positive and well received event. Parents/caregivers and families felt welcomed and comfortable that their children will be taken care of by the Moscrop community.

Checking:

• Students felt as though they had a community they could turn to for advice or help.
• Students had guidance with academic support if needed.
• Options for guidance or support with transitions were openly addressed and considered.

Reflections/Advice:

• I learned that I have a very collaborative and supportive team. Everyone is taking our learners’ needs into consideration while making any decision.
• We have older students mentoring younger students – giving advice or leading them through difficult situations.
• Our plan next is to see how we can continue to support students through their transitions (gr.7 to 8 and gr.12 to post-secondary, workforce, or both). Also, to focus on Indigenous understandings ( Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation) and Community-based learning Core Competencies (critical thinking, communication, problem solving).

School Name: Montecito

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Jessica Vaughan: jessica.vaughan@burnabyschools.ca
Fonda Papathanasiou: fonda.papathanasiou@burnabyschools.ca
Steve Smith: steve.smith@burnabyschools.ca
Leslie-Jo Field: leslie-jo.field@burnabyschools.ca
Madeleine Moore: madeleine.moore@burnabyschools.ca
Tanya Nicoll: tanya.nicoll@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: jessica.vaughan@burnabyschools.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: Arts Education

Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation)

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Our focus was developing our understanding of Coast Salish Design Elements, how they differ from more well known styles from further north, and through this extending our connection to the land on which our school community resides.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: Prior to covid, we completed a large project where the entire school worked with Squamish knowledge keepers to learn about and build a class set of drums. We then invited a Metis artist in residence to our school to teach us songs and more protocols around the use of our drums. Covid derailed our plans to move forward and paint our drums at that time. We are very much looking forward to being able to come together as a school again and complete our project this year.

Our students have been having an increased amount of difficulty relating to one another and we felt that by bringing the entire student population together to complete this project, we could build in opportunities to increase our connections to each other and to this place. We hoped to focus on the First People’s Principle of “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).”

Focus: Our students have been having an increased amount of difficulty relating to one another and we felt that by bringing the entire student population together to complete this project, we could build in opportunities to increase our connections to each other and to this place.

Hunch: Over the previous two school years, we had little opportunity to bring students together outside of their regular classes. This has been detrimental to the students’ ability to empathize with each other and their ability (or willingness) to make choices for the good of the school community as a whole.

New Professional Learning: We invited a Squamish Nation artist into the school to work with staff on a Pro-D day. On this day staff learned about Coast Salish design elements (shapes, how they are often combined, and their relationship to carved works) and protocols (permission to use designs) around painting our drums. After that we worked together (relying on the experiences of a few of our staff members) to create lessons to reinforce these ideas with our students.

Taking Action: The students’ first experiences with Coast Salish design elements came from the Squamish artist who came in to work with them. The classes met with the artist in buddy groups and each student completed a directed drawing with the artist while he shared some information about the animal they were drawing and traditional practices for making paints and carving.
Individually in classes the teachers then led the students through a number of activities that included sorting the shapes into categories, practice drawing the shapes with guidelines, looking at artwork and identifying the shapes, searching for the shapes in colouring sheets, participating in one or more Joyful Learning session focused on Coast Salish art, creating designs given an outline, and creating a design of the animal that they had learned about from the Squamish artist who had visited the school.
Each class then chose one design to represent them. It was drawn on to two drums, and then painted. The music teacher worked with two classes to learn three songs from our original project (2019-2020), and we held a celebration of our drums as a whole school.

Checking: Summarize the differences you made. Were they enough? Were you satisfied? What did you use as baseline – and change – evidence? How much richer are your learners’ answers to the four questions?

Our baseline was the number of students who staff reported at the end of the 2022 school year who they were concerned about due to lack of connection to the school and/or lack of connection to peers. In June of 2022, we identified 12 students in this situation. At the end of the school year we again discussed the students who we had been concerned about and found that half of those students had made connections with peers and were demonstrating more care for our school community.

Reflections/Advice: The opportunity to work with a Squamish artist and knowledge keeper was invaluable to this project. He helped us all make connections to the land our community resides on in a way that reached all our learners (students & staff). We could not have connected with our Indigenous student population or helped all students make connections within our school community if we had not worked with a Squamish nation knowledge keeper for the project.

School Name: Burnaby North Secondary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Katie Coughlin: Katie.Coughlin@burnabyschools.ca
Lorelei Lyons: Lorelei.Lyons@burnabyschools.ca
Barry Callister: Barry.Callister@burnabyschools.ca
Jerome Claudio: Jerome.Claudio@burnabyschools.ca
Claire Davis: Claire.Davis@burnabyschools.ca
Claire Michaels: Claire.Michaels@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: Maria.Nicolidakis@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Transitions Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Other: Cross-Curricular with English/Indigenous Leadership

Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Community-based learning, First Peoples Principles of Learning, Flexible learning, Indigenous pedagogy, Land, Nature or Place-based learning

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? This year we had cross-curricular lessons on harvesting cedar, which allowed multi-grades and multi-classes to have more land-based learning, Indigenous pedagogy and understanding, which included community Elders.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning:
CAN YOU NAME 2 PEOPLE IN THIS SETTING WHO BELIEVE YOU WILL BE A SUCCESS IN LIFE?
We have an amazing team of Indigenous Success Teachers – Lorelei Lyons and Katie Coughlin. They have worked with our Indigenous students for the past 3 years and have also connected with many non-Indigenous students now that we have created an Indigenous focused Leadership course, as well as offer English First Peoples at the grade 10 level.

WHY ARE YOU LEARNING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? It is clear that our students have wanted more authentic ways of knowing for both our Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Last year, we were part of a BC Hydro initiative where cedar logs were given to local schools. We invited a Squamish Elder (Elder Alice Guss) who came and taught a class about the traditions of cedar pulling – although it was only a 10 foot felled log.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS: It was incredibly well received so we then sought out a way to do traditions cedar pulling on a live tree. This allowed our Indigenous students in the Leadership class to be leaders of English classes who also participated. We have also dried the cedar and will be continuing work with the cedar in the hopes of bringing in cedar weavers next year to work with students.

Focus: We want to have more experiential learning that is authentic to First Peoples Principles and Ways of Knowing. Creating opportunities to go out onto the land and have Elders teach our students how to pull cedar, how to do it ethically, and how important cedar is (the tree of life in the Coast Salish Tradition) was an important aspect for our students understanding the world around them. We hoped that learning the science behind how the cedar was harvested, what it meant and how important cedar was (as opposed to so many other trees), would bring an understanding of how important the environment is around them, like how the tree only offers up what it can give (the bigger lesson is that we should consume only what we need).

Hunch: We are always trying ways to incorporate Ceremony and Indigenous ways of knowing into our school’s culture, as we feel that this is something that is important. Any time we can make it authentic, we will try to do so.

New Professional Learning: Getting permission to peel cedar was actually a bit more difficult than we thought. We contacted the municipality and were told flat out “no”. We were finally able to go to the North Shore and had Elders help us.

Taking Action: We were very persistent with this. We found the right people to go with, and asked around for connections to our local Coast Salish Community (something that we are continually working to build), which allowed us to get contacts to do this. We always keep in touch with Elders in the community to make sure that we strengthen the connections.

Checking: The difference between having the cedar pulled from a log that was felled, to going into the forest and doing it on the live tree, was profound for our students. The ability to see that this is something that is still done, that Knowledge Keepers and Elders exist and have been so generous in supporting opportunities to actually have hands-on experiences, makes it real.

Photo descriptions: (Top & Middle) Students pulling cedar off live trees this year. (Bottom) Students pulling the cedar bark from a felled log donated by BC Hydro with Elder Alice Guss.

Reflections/Advice: We have found that connecting with the Coast Salish Nations of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish, have been incredibly rewarding for our students who are Indigenous and non-Indigenous. We are continuing to create opportunities for ceremonies (we have a new school building that we are hoping to have ceremony on our Welcome Post – we had a smaller one to wake up the post before installation), where we will invite members of the Coast Salish Community.

School Name: Burnaby North

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Maria Nikolidakis maria.nikolidakis@burnabyschools.ca
Katie Coughlin katie.coughlin@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: maria.nikolidakis@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Writing, Science, Social Studies

Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), First Peoples Principles of Learning

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Cross curricular learning that centers Indigenous land based pedagogy.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: We mostly relied on the principles of learning and learner responses to design our year. Both through casual conversations in our Indigenous Room and through formal discussions with students, we were able to identify common threads. Our Indigenous students are diverse and have many needs and desires in their learning. Some feel connected to school curriculum, others do not care at all. One thread that consistently came up, however, was a desire to learn more about their culture and connect to the land. They also named goals in university – attending post secondary and studying sciences, humanities, and social-sciences was a major thread in ‘where they are going.’ In collaboration with a Biology 12 class and English 12 class, we designed a cross curricular experience that brought together scientific inquiry, self-reflection, and connectedness to the land. It demonstrated to students that learning does not need to be a silo – we can expand our learning in a multi-literate approach.

Focus: Our focus on a cross-curricular land-based program was a clear choice after reviewing student needs and desires. After 2 years of COVID, they were desperate for a feeling of community and connectedness, but also wanted to maintain an academic focus. This activity allowed us to incorporate core-competencies and curricular competencies while centering First People’s Principles of Learning.

Hunch: First, COVID was, and to many extents still is, the core of what is impacting students in our school. They lost connection and community for over 2 years, resulting in very little buy-in, motivation, and desire to connect to academic life. Despite this, many of our learners still have goals of attending university and taking academic courses like Physics and Biology. COVID also impacted their sense of community in schools and connection to other learners.

Second, there is always a desire for more Indigenous content for Indigenous students. Teachers are trying, and curriculum is attempting to catch up with the needs of students, but Indigenous students want more than just curriculum. They consistently want Indigenous culture tied into their learning.

New Professional Learning: We explored cross curricular learning – learning that incorporated both curricular competencies and core competencies for science, language arts, and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Collaboration time was the most helpful – teachers needed to meet and brainstorm in order to offer students a comprehensive, fun, and engaging experience.

Taking Action: We wanted to focus on being on the land and having fun. We knew that students hadn’t had a chance to go on a field trip in a long time due to COVID, so knew that a land-based experience would be an amazing trip.

We then wanted to collaborate on curriculum – we wanted to demonstrate to students and learning is embedded in everything we do. We went through Biology 11 and 12 competencies and English 10-12 competencies and identified big questions and common themes. Based on these themes, we planned activities that would occur on the land and that would engage the curiosity and reflection of students. This included exploring the shoreline, using all of their senses to ask questions about sea-life, noticing the landscape and how it might have changed since colonization, etc.

As a cross curricular team, we met many times leading up to our days on the land. All of the participating teachers designed their units prior to the day to tie into learning that would occur. For example, in Biology, they were learning about tidal zones and the impact of industry on shell fish.

Checking: This was hopefully one of many cross curricular experiences that we can offer students. It was very successful – we had students fully engaged in the activities, curious and excited to be exploring the land around them and asking questions, reflecting on where they are today and the history of the land they are on. Is it enough, no. Students need activities like this much more than what we can currently offer. However, it did noticeably build community among our students.

Reflections/Advice: We learned that kids really just want to connect and have fun together. We are still learning the extent to which COVID has affected our Indigenous students, but I know that it is much more than what we are seeing on the surface. We also learned that students are capable and wanting Indigenous ways of knowing to be incorporated in a seamless way, not a tokenizing way, into their learning.

School Name: Montecito Elementary

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Jessica Vaughan: jessica.vaughan@burnabyschools.ca
Alex Peters: alexandra.peters@burnabyschools.ca
Leslie-Jo Field: leslie-jo.field@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: jessica.vaughan@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts – Writing

Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (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? On building students’ understanding of Indigenous worldviews, specifically related to the role of oral language in traditional Indigenous ways of learning.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: We noticed that our Indigenous students who were also struggling with language arts activities in the classroom were not engaging in oral opportunities to increase their understanding during literature circle meetings. The body language of these students indicated that they were uninterested and/or felt defeated by the structures in place during literature circle meetings. We wanted to honour the BCTF “Indigenous ways of knowing and being” that important teachings emerge through stories.

Focus: We focused on building students’ understanding of Indigenous worldviews specifically related to the role of oral language in traditional Indigenous ways of learning. We wanted to increase our Indigenous students’ belief in themselves that they could participate in literature circle meetings in meaningful ways. We were hopeful this increase in self-belief would lead to an increase in participation during literature circle meetings.

Hunch: The structure most commonly used during literature circle meetings in our intermediate classrooms assumed that all students had read the assigned section of the novel and that they had made connections to the story. This put any student who had not completed the reading assignment at a disadvantage which led them to withdraw from conversations about the themes in the book.

New Professional Learning: We enrolled in an inquiry based workshop series called “Changing Results for Indigenous Learners” through the Burnaby School District. Through this workshop we focused on literacy interventions for all students in our classrooms. We focused on strategies for ensuring struggling learners received multiple opportunities to engage as a group prior to being asked to demonstrate their learning.

Taking Action: The strategies that were used during literature circle time were effective in increasing participation for our Indigenous students. Specifically, using half of the time during the meetings to discuss aspects of the next section of the book increased participation. By activating prior knowledge and discussing possible connections when predicting and hinting at the content in the next few chapters, students’ willingness to participate in discussion and share their thoughts increased.

Checking: The differences we noticed in the students were satisfactory. Most students were not participating in conversations at all (and in some cases, not attending to those conversations). We tallied the number of contributions each student made during literature circle meetings and noted their overall level of attention to the conversations. We found that in small group literature circle meetings, their participation increased (from zero to two or three contributions each meeting).

Reflections/Advice: We learned that it is important to offer opportunity for students to engage orally with the materials they are using in class, especially when front loading students. This strategy worked well for all students in the class.

School Name: Byrne Creek Community

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Lisa Parsonson: Lisa.Parsonson@burnabyschools.ca
Jennifer Delvecchio: Jennifer.Delvecchio@burnabyschools.ca
Jolene Carlsen: Jolene.Carlsen@burnabyschools.ca
Brenda Papapanagiotou: Brenda.Papapanagioutou@burnabyschools.ca
Jennifer Araujo: Jennifer.Araujo@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: lisa.parsonson@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Not applicable

Focus Addressed: Community-based learning, Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Differentiated instruction, Experiential learning, Flexible learning, Growth mindset, Inclusion and inclusive instructional strategies, Self-regulation, Social and emotional learning, STEM / STEAM, Transitions

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? How can the school library focus on being a responsive, welcoming, nurturing and kind space for all while enticing learning?

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Inquiry Project Summary

Scanning: “As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence.” (bel hooks)

During the pandemic we have all been feeling quite disconnected, yet still many students – especially our newest ones – seek out the library; why this place? How can the school library focus on being a responsive, welcoming, nurturing and kind space for all while enticing learning?

After interviewing and observing students in the library, we are curious about this evolving role. We wonder if weaving aspects of a Reggio inspired early childhood program – one that encourages purposeful play – will offer an interactive and provocative environment(s) that can be thoughtfully woven into a secondary library setting. Would these seemingly random playful engagements strengthen our connections and perhaps even encourage a more holistic understanding of learning and the library learning commons?

Focus: Byrne Creek Community School is a secondary school with one of the most linguistically diverse populations in Canada. During the pandemic, we have felt quite disconnected and often anxious. How can a high school library help students feel safe and more connected to each other and their community?

As a former elementary teacher, I wondered if some of the approaches used in many early childhood classrooms, such as play-based learning and learning provocations, could be adapted for a high school library setting. These approaches align with many of the OECD principles and the First Peoples’ Principles of Learning, where learning is social, experiential and connected deeply to our emotions.

My hope for this inquiry is to create opportunities for all our students to feel welcome, connected and safe. I also wish to nudge our perceptions about what happens in a library – its purpose and role in a community school.

Hunch: Interesting aesthetically pleasing materials and tools engage us, make us ask questions, and invite interactions. During the pandemic, there were less opportunities for students to connect and collaborate with each other and learn in natural and communal ways. Often students were using social media to connect with the world. I believe that offering some provocations and play-based activities, such as board games & puzzles help, students engage and connect more in in person.

New Professional Learning: Although familiar with the concepts used in the Reggio Emilia approach, I was uncertain about how to bring this into a communal high school setting as a new experience. To help, I reached out to colleagues – both in and out of the district – to find ideas and tips to inspire and engage our students. I also used interviewed students both as a way to inform my practice and to find ideas that could work for them. I also read In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia (Ann Pelo, 2005) and Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers by Susan Harris MacKay, and participated in the Kath Murdoch sessions offered by NOIIE and the district’s TRC series featuring Jo Chrona, Dr. Sara Davidson & Dr. Dustin Louie.

Taking Action: We set up and introduced a variety of collaborative provocations around the library space and changed them regularly based on the response from students. Some provocations, such as the VR glasses, Buddha Board and the open books, were located at the check out desk. These items inspired conversations and questions between me and the students. I often got to know students through discussing and sharing these materials and tools. It also offered a safe entry for students – many of whom are recent immigrants and refugees – to connect with us. Other provocations are scattered throughout the space on community tables and vertical wall spaces. These activities often seemed to attract students who wanted to play a quick game or perhaps colour quietly. As the year progressed, students began requesting different materials and activities. We noticed more and more that many new ELL leaners and students from our protected classrooms spend regular amounts of time here with friends, playing with the games and materials. They are laughing, playing and connecting with friends.

Besides materials, we also wanted to invite local community members into the library. Welcoming outside community members into our library, could be an important way for all of us to feel connected. In May, we were able to invite our local kindergarten students into the library. They wanted to understand what happens in a high school library. We set up a variety of centres similar to what the high school students enjoy. Their presence in the school created an instant response amongst the high school students. They stopped and smiled. They asked questions. They reached out. Teachers also noticed and asked how they could be involved. The kindergarten students were able to visit twice before year end. We are planning regular meetings next year.

Checking: When I scan the library, I see students playing chess, working on a puzzle, teaching each other quicker ways to solve a Rubik’s puzzle or working on a podcast. Since introducing provocations into the library, students have an expanded view of what happens in a school library. Classrooms are now asking to come in and spend time playing board games. More teachers are requesting different materials (sound equipment, knitting/crochet materials, Cricut…) in our collaborations. Students are teaching each other new games and sharing tips.

At the end of the year, I asked students to describe our library and asked them why they chose to come here. All students could identify 2 adults who believed that they would be successful. They also expressed gratitude for being in the library. I also asked the kindergarten students about how their understanding of a library had changed. Their answers were very different. They all wanted to return and had some strong ideas on what they would like to learn next.

Reflections/Advice: Bringing in early childhood provocations and play-based activities into our learning commons has been a wonderful experience.
What worked well:

• Having a variety of materials located throughout the space allowed different options for students.
• Bringing in young student visitors into the library.
• Challenges:
  • The pandemic limited our ability to bring in outside visitors into the space.
  • Creating provocations that are both engaging and yet approachable can be challenging.
•  Next Steps:
  • Kindergarten students will be back in the fall for regular visits.
  • We hope to begin working with some high school teachers and students who are interested in more formal collaborations.
  • I hope that the Kindergarten see high schools as a safe and welcoming space, where they feel welcome.
  • We hope to expand some of our making and games activities, and perhaps bring in community members to help teach some more complex games.

School Name: South Slope Elementary/ BC School for the Deaf

School District: SD#41 Burnaby

Inquiry Team Members: Jennifer Araujo: jennifer.araujo@burnabyschools.ca, Corrie Cole: corrie.cole@burnabyschools.ca, Jenna Noble: jenna.noble@burnabyschools.ca, Samantha Hinestrosa: samantha.hinestrosa@burnabyschools.ca, Celina, Dyczkowski: celina.dyczkowski@burnabyschools.ca, Carla Berezowski: carla.berezowski@burnabyschools.ca, Caitie Sanderson: caitie.sanderson@burnabyschools.ca, Danielle Tarchuk: danielle.tarchuk@burnabyschools.ca, Isaac Flink: issac.flink@burnabyschools.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: jennifer.araujo@burnabyschools.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: NOIIE

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Applied Design, skills & Technology, Arts Education, Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Writing

Focus Addressed: Differentiated instruction, Experiential learning, Flexible learning, Formative assessment, Growth mindset, Inclusion and inclusive instructional strategies, Social and emotional learning

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? In what ways might Story Workshop nurture authorship and writer identity and how might the Story Studio in the Library promote literacy school wide?

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: Our team met as a Community of Practice at the beginning of the school year to discuss how we might work together and use Story Workshop as part of our language arts curriculum in the library and in our classrooms. We were noticing an excitement among our students to tell and share stories, but also a reluctance to write and see themselves as authors. At the beginning of the year we asked a small sample of students if they liked writing and if they were good writers, only one student responded yes to both questions. We also asked them what they would like to learn next, and most focused on conventions like spelling and neatness. The OECD principles of learning are embedded in Story Workshop. It places learners at the centre and we were able to observe if students could self-manage and demonstrate their learning, as well as construct their learning through active exploration. Students shared their stories during story congress, and this is where they could engage in assessment for learning by both giving and receiving feedback about their stories and writing. We also used the First Peoples’ Principles of Learning in our scanning process by reflecting on to what extent stories were a part of students’ experiences at school and how Story Workshop might facilitate this as well as exploring their own identities.

Focus: Our school context is unique. We are 2 schools: South Slope Elementary and the BC School for the Deaf. Both schools access the library and work with the Teacher Librarian. This inquiry was an opportunity for teachers from both schools to work together as a Community of Practice and collaborate with the Teacher Librarian. We were hoping that the shared experience of using the story studio in the library would build connections between teachers and students across both schools.

The pandemic created fewer opportunities for interactions outside of school and we noticed a need for play and an excitement for students when working with loose parts and other materials. We also noticed anxiety even among our youngest learners and wondered how the social nature of learning might be developed through Story Workshop. Based on some of our past experiences with Story Workshop, we were also wondering how it might stretch our students and provide multiple opportunities for assessment for learning. For our deaf and hard of hearing learners, we noticed language deficits that sometimes make it difficult for students to express themselves. We wondered if the play-based nature of Story Workshop would allow all students to stretch themselves, find their stories and develop a sense of personal identity. We also wondered how the use of the arts would affect the writing process for all students.

Hunch: We were wondering if more traditional instructional practices such as journal writing were limiting students’ abilities to share their stories. When limited to pencil and paper, what other languages of the child were we missing? If we believe what Loris Malaguzzi says about the child having “a hundred languages/a hundred hands/ a hundred thoughts/ a hundred ways of thinking/of playing, of speaking”, how could we approach our time with our students differently? We suspected that by inviting students to explore writing and literacy through Story Workshop, they would be able to capture the stories that were important to them.

New Professional Learning: All our teacher learners received a copy of Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers, by Susan Harris MacKay. We met regularly to discuss the book and watch the videos that were accessible through the publisher. We found the online resources available with this resource very helpful. This year we also participated in district workshops for our Story Workshop Community of Practice. We attended after school sessions about growing our Story Workshop practice and attended a Pro-D day session led by the authors of our Story Workshop book. To help us understand our learners and the Story Workshop process, we participated in school-based maker sessions which included woodwork, felting and peg doll painting.

Photos (above): Photo collages of teacher making sessions, both process and product.

Taking Action: We decided to work collaboratively in the library, and in classrooms, using the Story Workshop model. The teacher librarian and classroom teachers met regularly to plan next steps based on what we were observing with our students and their writing. The teacher librarian chose texts to use as provocations in consultation with classroom teachers. We shared and reflected on documentation, photos and videos, with each other and with our learners.

Loose parts were always available during Story Workshop. We introduced water colours, water colour pencils, drawing pencils, fine liners, as well as water colour paper and drawing paper. Plasticine was also used to create settings, characters and develop details. We noticed that the affordances of these materials allowed students to capture stories that were important to them. We believe that many of these stories would not have been shared otherwise.

Photos (above): Photo collages of students using watercolours and plasticine in Story Workshop along with guiding questions and reflections.

In a grade 3/4 class, students chose a story to publish and we used the Book Creator iPad app. Students shared these stories at our student led conferences at the end of April with their families. Students were actively engaged and excited about the publishing process and product. We printed copies of their books for the library and other students we actively engaged with this display, reading the stories and asking if the books could be borrowed.

Photos (above): Publishing our stories – Photo collage of students using iPads to publish stories as well as students with their stories in the library and the display.

Checking: At the end of the school year, we asked the same students the four key questions. These students now said they enjoyed writing and saw themselves as authors. They could identify the next steps they wanted to take in their journey as writers. All these students could identify at least two adults in the school who believed they would be a success in life. In one student conference we looked back at some writing that was done at the beginning of the year when the student struggled to write independently, and said he did not like writing. Then we looked at some of his current writing and he said, “I don’t even know what that says. Now everyone can read [my writing] and I can read it, too!”

Other classes entering and observing what was happening in the library were curious and excited about Story Workshop and the Story Studio, particularly intermediate classes. They often asked, “When can we do this?” Although these classes were not officially part of the original Community of Practice they also participated through poetry writing, photography and stop motion animation in the library. These were collaborations based in the philosophies of story workshop.

Reflections/Advice: When we met at the end of the year we reflected on how much joy and gratitude we had for this inquiry. These were some of our reflections:

Strengths/Highlights

• Students independently recording their stories
• Collaboration with Teacher Librarian and each other essential
• Using books as provocations and mentor texts successful
• Students choosing to write in explorations
• Parents noticing how much writing students are doing
• Kids found stories that matter to them
• Kids asking to have books photocopied to give away
• Descriptive words come naturally with story workshop
• Students are discovering their voice and developing self confidence
• Students are using their imaginations with the materials and those with limited language can use materials and writing to tell their story
• Poetry has been a good entry point for reluctant writers
• Reluctant writers are motivated to write but need patience

Stretches/Challenges/Wonders

• Process vs product: Does it matter if they finish their story?
• How can we have a resource team with ELL and LSS support SW?
• How can we use multiple spaces for story workshop with multiple classes?
• How do you move from play to writing? Knowing the right nudge

Possibilities for Next Year

• Dive deeper into our Story Workshop book and have book club meetings
• Maintain our Story Workshop Community of Practice
• Creating a digital aesthetic? (green screens)
• Decolonization of story? Explore and connect First People’s Principles
• Organizing classroom materials in carts