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FOUNDATIONS - Schools and Programs
Items reported on in this section largely represent district-coordinated activities directly related to schools and their programs. This section does not attempt to report on the many different activities, events, and initiatives in our 49 schools and other programs. There are far too many such items to address within the scope of this report.
The Advancement Via Individual Determination Program (AVID)
In the Fall of 2005 the first AVID Cohort, a group of Grade 9 students, started at Richmond Secondary. The Advancement Via Individual Determination Program (AVID) is an academic enrichment and preparation program that was first developed in San Diego, California, in the early 1980s. The founder of AVID, Mary Catherine Swanson, believed that students "academically in the middle" could be motivated to pursue post-secondary education if they had the right support from teachers, their school, their peers, and their parents. Swanson developed a program that combined advanced courses with an elective class focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and study and test-taking skills.
The Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation (the “Foundation”) is providing funding to the Province of British Columbia for the implementation, administration, and monitoring of the BC AVID Pilot Project. The research question the BC AVID Pilot Project seeks to answer is whether the AVID intervention—an enriched college preparatory curriculum, including enrolment in advanced courses, innovative classroom strategies, and strong support from teachers and tutors—will increase the likelihood that students graduate from high school, apply successfully to a Post-Secondary Education (PSE) program and meet the requirements of their chosen program, and complete the program. The Foundation will observe the following outcomes: high school graduation, PSE enrolment, and successful completion of the first year of PSE.
AVID trained teachers use prescribed curricular materials and techniques to focus on note-taking, textbook reading, study skills, test taking, and library research skills to help students succeed in their academic classes. As students progress through the program, additional instruction is offered in time management and in preparation for provincial exams. Tutors from area colleges and universities are trained to use specific teaching methodologies and materials to provide additional instruction to AVID students. What does AVID do for students? It:
• Teaches them how to act like successful students
• Gives them study skills
• Teaches them responsibility
• Provides them with organizational skills
• Provides them with note-taking skills
• Teaches them how to talk to their teachers
• Provides the opportunity to study with groups/tutors
• Teaches them about what it takes to get into college
• Teaches them how to complete homework
• Helps them work on basic skills such as reading/writing/math
• Challenges them to succeed in difficult college prep courses
A second cohort of AVID students (also Grade 9 students) will begin in the Fall of 2006. This second cohort will also be part of the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation's study.
Career Development
Career Development is embedded in the graduation program as one of the three main goals of education, along with intellectual development and human and social development. The aim of Career Development is to prepare students to attain their career and occupational objectives. Under the umbrella of Career Development, secondary schools in Richmond offer a variety of Career Preparation Programs, Secondary School Apprenticeships, and Career Technical Centre opportunities. Ken Caig, District Curriculum Coordinator for Career Development, Tony Kalf, Career Development Facilitator, and DiAnne Simonson, Career Development Facilitator, are developing plans to build and strengthen partnerships with trades and businesses in the Richmond community. Initiatives are underway to develop partnerships between
post-secondary institutions, industry, and schools as part of an overall plan to increase opportunities for apprenticeship and training programs in our secondary schools.
Planning 10
Planning 10, a new required course as part of the new Graduation Program, is designed as a four-credit, timetabled course with a focus on planning for further education and careers. Planning 10 will strengthen the development of employability skills and attitudes to better enable our students as they transition from school to post-secondary education, training, or work. For their working futures, students need the skills to successfully seek job opportunities, acquire training, and adapt to change. Planning 10 will lay the foundations for the development of those skills.
Career Exploration Opportunities
A broad selection of Career Exploration Opportunities are supported each year. Opportunities like the RCMP Youth Academy, Take Our Kids to Work, Skills Canada Regional and Provincial competitions, World of Choices/Women in Trades, CSI Academy, Junior Achievement programs, and post-secondary open houses are just a few. Also included are school Career Days, the First Responders groups at some schools, and the Richmond Career Options Fair held during Education Week.
Career Preparation Programs
A wide variety of Career Preparation Programs are offered in Richmond schools. These programs are specifically designed for Grades 11 and 12 students who would like the opportunity to combine career studies with regular secondary school graduation. Career Preparation Programs provide an opportunity for students to receive in-depth skill training and a comprehensive understanding and awareness of the working world, while fulfilling regular graduation requirements. In many districts, Career Preparation Programs have been an effective tool to help students focus on, and prepare for, their career objectives. Ministry data also shows that students who participate in a Career Preparation Program have significantly higher graduation rates than students who do not participate.
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs (CTC and ACE-IT)
Richmond School District is a member of the South Fraser Career Technical Consortium, in partnership with Kwantlen University College and the Surrey, Langley, and Delta school districts. The CTC is expected to help improve student retention and graduation rates, make student transition from secondary to post-secondary education and/or employment easier and more effective, encourage participation from underrepresented groups in various programs, and achieve efficiencies in operational delivery.
CTC programs can be developed with any post-secondary institution. These programs offer Richmond students opportunities to receive dual credit for CTC program courses taken under the auspices of any post-secondary partner. Students will simultaneously earn credits towards secondary school graduation and entry level Trades Training/Apprenticeship Level 1 Technical Training. The program funding initiative called ACE-IT (Accelerated Credit Entry to Industry Training), administered by the Industry Training Authority of BC, has assisted in the development of these programs. At present, we offer students access to Carpentry, Automotive Service Technician, Masonry, Millwright, Automotive Upholstery, Drafting, Outdoor Power Equipment, Welding, and Automotive Parts and Light Warehousing programs. Additional
programs are under development in Cosmetology (Hairdressing), Plumbing, Cook Training, and Community and Health Services.
Secondary School Apprenticeship
The Secondary School Apprenticeship program enrolment is 20 students at this time and is expected to grow. The addition of Carpentry and Automotive Service Technician Pre-Apprenticeship Programs offered within the district should increase SSA numbers for next year by about 25. SSA continues to hold great potential, as it will provide easier access to careers in trades for students who are not enrolled in a Career Preparation Program but who have a focused interest in an apprenticeable trade. The expectation is that SSA students will graduate. Students who graduate from secondary school while in this program are eligible for a $1000 scholarship; however, all SSA students are able to continue in their apprenticeship to achieve certification.
Community Outreach
Community Outreach is in its 12th year of service to support Richmond school-aged youth who are not currently enrolled in school. Many of these students have returned to secondary school and are achieving success in a variety of ways. They are all working towards further educational experiences including exploring work opportunities to complement their education. The teachers continue to collaborate with the youth, school staffs, and many community agencies to support these youth to be successful in all their educational pursuits. During the school year, over 60 students receive support from the district’s two Community Outreach Teachers, Christine Brodie and Michael Jaswal.
DARE Program
After much discussion involving the school district, RCMP, and Richmond Addiction Services (RAS), who are all members of Richmond's Substance Abuse Task Force, the RCMP continues to deliver the new DARE Program to elementary students during the 2005/06 school year. RAS will continue being a valued resource at the secondary level.
ESL Support
This past year has, once again, seen a steady number of newcomers who require ESL support entering the school district. Typically, about 100 such students enter the district each and every month. During August and September, nearly 900 new students with ESL needs arrived. Also, as has been the case for a number of years now, approximately half of all new kindergarten students in Richmond require some degree of ESL assistance. Most of these kindergarten students are Canadians, usually born in Canada.
While over 60 languages are represented in the district's ESL population, approximately 65% of students who need ESL support speak Mandarin or Cantonese. A recent trend that is continuing is that these Chinese students have a wide range of prior schooling and English experience although, generally, they are usually at the beginning stages of acquiring English. This recent trend and the continuation of large numbers of newcomers result in a very challenging environment for teachers and school communities.
Last Spring, the Board of School Trustees received a review of our ESL programs. The most significant finding in the report is a concern with the level of support provided to students at Level 3 and higher, especially in our elementary schools. While Richmond ESL students have done surprisingly well over the years in adjusting to, and succeeding in, a new environment (we have the province's highest graduation rate two years in a row), there is growing concern that more and more students could be 'fossilizing' in their English acquisition at an upper intermediate level, far short of fluency in academic, cognitive language (CALP).
French and French Immersion
French Immersion continues to grow in popularity, increasing by 147 FI students over last year's September numbers and now representing over 10% of the total student population in Richmond. This Fall, McMath expanded the program to include Grade 9, for a total of 160 students in Grades 8 and 9 French Immersion. McRoberts continues to maintain its numbers in French Immersion from Grades 8 to 12, with 581 students presently enrolled.
Rapid growth in the number of students enrolled in French Immersion programs has created concerns about our ability to provide classroom space and teaching staff in the long term. Some changes were made to Early French Immersion catchment areas last Spring. A task force met this Fall to review capacity issues and has recommended careful monitoring of this situation and consideration of possible relocation of the Late French Immersion program currently at Whiteside.
Literacy continues to be a primary goal within a number of FI schools, with workshops on SMART Reading and Reading Power being offered in some of our schools, incorporating examples in French. To support the literacy goal, we now have French book collections that support SMART Reading and Reading Power at the District Resource Centre available for teacher use. As well, a number of new Science materials have been placed at the DRC to support the new Science IRP.
In Core French, many teachers have attended professional development workshops and secondary teachers are piloting new materials in the hopes of choosing a new program in the near future.
International Programs
The International Student Program affords the opportunity for qualified fee-paying applicants, from a variety of countries throughout the world, to continue their studies in an English-language setting alongside our students within the Richmond public education system. Currently, international students are studying at 8 of our 11 secondary schools, including the International Baccalaureate Program offered at Richmond Secondary School. Through an interactive exchange of information about culture, centered upon personally-lived experiences from various parts of the world, Canadian and international students alike have the opportunity to mutually enrich each other’s lives. As of February 2006, our International Student Program will enrol 285 participants with registration expected to reach 315
students for the Fall of 2006. The positive growth in enrolment continues to occur as a result of students and their parents being very satisfied with program opportunities and levels of student achievement, in addition to a very active recruiting campaign. In an effort to increase the diversity of students, International Programs has been actively marketing in Latin America and various parts of Europe. To date, international students have adjusted well to their new surroundings, have shown commitment to their studies, and have integrated successfully into all aspects of a well-rounded school experience.
International Programs also include short term programs for both foreign students and visiting groups of teachers. This is a growing area of interest and activity. Summer group programs, focused on intensifying the relationships with several "key" schools in Hong Kong, have been successful in attracting more students to return and register as full time international students. During the Fall and into the Winter terms, we have had visitors from Hong Kong, Shenzhen, as well as Bogota, Colombia, and Seoul, Korea, for short-term programs and exposure to Canadian culture and schooling. Following these successful experiences, a number of groups have expressed their interest in a similar program experience.
Richmond Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association
The statistics demonstrate that participation levels in Richmond secondary school athletics for the Fall and Winter sport seasons over the last four (4) years indicate there was no significant change in the number of student participants or the number of teams. There was a significant change in participation after the 2001/02 school year, partially due to the job action of teachers.
For the current Winter sport season, there has been a slight increase in participants and teams in Basketball and a significant decrease in participants and teams in Table Tennis.
Schools are maintaining quality athletic programs for the students in Richmond and this is evident by the number of teams that qualified for BC Championships this past Fall. In the BC Girls’ "AAA" Field Hockey Championships, McRoberts finished in 2nd place. Steveston qualified to represent the Vancouver/Richmond Zone in the Boys' "AA" Soccer Championships. Many swimmers from various Richmond schools qualified for the BC Secondary Schools’ Aquatic Championships. This year, the Hugh Boyd Trojans’ Varsity Boys’ Football Team made it to the semifinals of the BC “AA” Football Championships.
Roots of Empathy (ROE)
The Roots of Empathy Program is in its fifth year in our elementary schools and is one part of a larger Social Responsibility focus in the district. With controlled expansion we have increased from 2 schools and 6 classrooms in our first year to 23 schools and 36 classrooms this year. The size of this year's program requires 25 instructors and 37 babies. The program is precisely targeted at increasing a child’s empathy towards others through the unique aspect of using babies between 3 and 12 months of age as the focal point for understanding. By seeing “through the eyes of children,” the student comes to an appreciation and, hopefully, deeper understanding of the basic needs of all children. The opportunity to learn this skill in a convenient setting like their school classroom, with real
infants in authentic ways, has proven to be one positive manner in which students do acquire more empathetic behaviours. This is the third year that Sabina Harpe, Principal of Tomsett Elementary School, as a 0.2 fte ROE Coordinator has assisted the program’s growth by expanding its scope and influence in over 60% of our elementary schools.
Science Jam
The Richmond School District will host its third annual Science Jam on February 15, 2006, at Richmond Centre. Science Jam is a fantastic celebration of science and learning that takes place during Education Week. The event presents an opportunity for students to display their learning in science and to interact with the public in regards to their science project displays. In addition, students and the public are invited to engage in a variety of science-related activities hosted by a number of community organizations.
Strengthening Fine Arts
This Spring, the new Strengthening Fine Arts (SFA) discussion paper will be widely circulated throughout the district. We have sought stakeholder input for two years through five district meetings in 2004/05, monthly SFA Working Committee meetings, Education Committee meetings, and Advisory Committee meetings. In addition, we have solicited written submissions throughout the process of finalizing our discussion paper. The following Fine Arts priorities continue to be at the heart of our work: First, build capacity in schools and networks across schools as a means of supporting students and staff; second, better serve the needs of students by providing Fine Arts promotion, partnerships, and professional development for staff; and third, strengthen curriculum based pro-d at the district level to
better support elementary and secondary Fine Arts teachers. Ultimately, the discussion paper will provide direction for the short term as well as provide a three year and ten year plan.
We continue to develop our partnerships with Gateway Theatre, the City of Richmond Art Strategy, the Vancouver Opera Association (VOA), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), Richmond Art Gallery, and Art Starts. We are in our second year working with Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) in four elementary schools in a partnership with the district, schools, and their PACs. LTTA is also partnering with the district in a series of Pro-D opportunities in Spring 2006 and a Media Arts Project connected to our IT Department in approximately 10 classrooms in 8 schools.
Yearly events like Music In Our Schools and the Secondary Jazz Night will continue to occur. This year we are also benefiting from the work of three elementary teacher leaders (Patty Silver, Robyn Traill, and Denise Chambers) in drama, music, and visual arts as they assist teachers in their classrooms in each of these three Fine Arts areas.
TABLE 38
One of our strategies for improving social responsibility is to provide leadership training and opportunities for students. The district is supporting this plan by using TABLE 38 to develop a district-wide student leadership program.
TABLE 38 - The Association for Building Leadership Excellence is a district sponsored, secondary student organization that meets monthly to foster, enhance, and support student leadership development. It enables secondary student leaders across the district to connect with each other. Each secondary school (11) takes a turn each month to host a meeting at their school and the Student Council President chairs the meeting. Our communication with each other is also enhanced through our own TABLE 38 RichNet Conference.
We have also created a District Student Leadership Advisors’ Network to support school sponsors in providing student leadership development in schools. These regular quarterly networking sessions, attended by support staff, teachers, administrators, and district staff, are designed to provide an opportunity for schools to share their leadership development ideas, discuss issues and challenges, as well as develop a set of guiding principles to support their work with student leaders. This District Study Group supports educators who are interested in learning more about how to support student leadership in their classrooms, schools, and communities. The first two networking sessions will occur at the District Student Leadership Conference on February 22, 2006.
As a follow-up to the District Student Leadership Conference, we will be hosting networking sessions on March 6, April 10, and May 8 for interested student leadership sponsors to continue our conversation about student leadership development. Our plan for these meetings is as follows:
• March 8: debrief the February 22nd Conference; distribute the Kielburger’s Take Action- Active Citizenship book to each participant; discuss big ideas of this resource book
• April 10: distribute the Kielburger’s Me to WE book to each participant; discuss big ideas
• May 8: Open Book Share - bring your favourite leadership resource; discuss where to network in 2006/07
There are nine components to each TABLE 38 meeting agenda. These address building community, learning together, sharing ideas, and providing a student voice in school district and community initiatives. The specific components are:
1. Welcome and Introductions by Host School
2. Review of Highlights from Last Meeting
3. Leadership Icebreaker
Organized by the Student Council host, this activity allows students to build school communities of student leaders and enables students from around the district to connect with one another to build a district-wide support network.
4. Schools Share
Students describe events, ideas, activities, and strategies that work to build school spirit and leadership (this time provides students with a collective opportunity to identify common events and issues such as effective PR tools/strategies; student street squad initiatives; mentoring the next generation of student leaders; planning effective events; creating positive school communities; and social responsibility. Some topics that we have discussed this year include multiculturalism in schools and social responsibility.
5.Student Leadership Conference
The Conference Committee provides an update on the annual conference for Grades 6 to 12 students. Last year’s conference, Spirit from the Heart: Strengthening from Within, held in November at MacNeill Secondary, attracted a record attendance of more than 800 participants, including 625 student delegates, 55 presenters (student presenters outnumbered the adult presenters 31 to 24), a 14-member Conference Committee, 30 student hosts, 1 drum team (consisting of 1 teacher and 8 students), and 45 student leadership sponsors. This year’s conference will be held on February 22, 2006, and is titled Turning Dreams Into Reality: The Road Ahead.
6. Student Leaders’ TABLETalk 38 Newsletter
The Newsletter Committee organizes the schools to write-up key activities that are being organized in schools. These articles are printed and distributed to elementary and secondary student leaders. During the past three years, six issues of the newsletter were produced.
7. Let’s Learn Together
Students learn concepts and skills to become more effective leaders. In the Spring of 2005, we selected Marc and Craig Kielburger’s book, Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship, as a resource for student councils to study, among other things, how to get involved, setting up a group, holding a meeting, writing letters, public speaking, and raising public awareness and support. We will select another book or topic for this year’s meetings.
8. Student Input and Feedback
Members of the Board of School Trustees, District Management Committee, and community organizations invite students to provide feedback on issues. This year, TABLE 38 provided feedback on: a secondary school common timetable and start time; recognizing student academic achievement; student dress code; multiculturalism in schools; social responsibility in schools; and how you demonstrate caring in your community.
The annual Junior Board Meeting allows secondary students to work with trustees and district staff to understand and respond to a relevant community/school issue. This year Academic Controversy was used to consider “be it resolved that schools must sell only healthy foods.”
In addition, TABLE 38 members have provided input to district and community committees such as: District Education Committee; District Career Development Symposium Planning Committee; District Strengthening Fine Arts Working Group; City of Richmond Substance Abuse Task Force; City of Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee; Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness Youth Working Group; and Spirit of BC (Richmond).
9. Updates and Invitations
Various student, city, and district committees report on a number of initiatives where student involvement is wanted. Examples of groups and information about programs or conferences that have come to a TABLE 38 meeting include:
Richmond Youth Centre Programs – Richmond Youth Week
Richmond Schools Response Team
Rushworth Kidder Field Trip – Moral Courage
National Student Leadership Conference
Provincial Student Leadership Conference
Rich City Idol
ROAR – Reach Out And Read
Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee
Strengthening Fine Arts Working Group Committee
Opening Doors/Opening Minds Conference
CARS BC
Terry Fox Community Run
EyeGO Program from the Gateway Theatre
Making Poverty History Conference
Richmond Addictions Services
Multicultural activities in Richmond Secondary Schools
Richmond Youth Roundtable
McMath Fashion Show – Raise funds for Breast cancer
Breaking Barriers Building Bridges Conference
The Run for Disaster Relief in Asia
One Tonne Challenge
Reach Out and Run
Richmond Rotary Youth Programs
Richmond Schools Response Team – Toonie Tuesday Project
Student Leadership and Social Responsibility
Reaching Out and Supporting Our Community
Richmond students are reaching out and supporting the needs of our community in extraordinary ways! Through their leadership and social awareness initiatives, they are becoming socially responsible and are making a big difference in our schools, our community, and global community. This information was submitted by schools in a survey requesting information about how students were demonstrating leadership in the area of social responsibility.
School Initiatives
• enhancing school spirit
• designing orientation activities for new Grade 8s
• writing scripts, presenting skits, producing videos, and making announcements to promote positive social behaviour
• volunteering in a variety of roles
• participating in peer helper programs
• participating in Destination Conservation activities
• providing anti-bullying information to students
• having a variety of multicultural activities for students to participate in: international issues multicultural lunch, multicultural week with food from different cultures, multicultural month - a different culture every month, Italian Club, Japanese classes - selling sushi at lunch, Multicultural Talent Night, Chazah Club, fashion shows - Punjabi dancers, Japanese Exchange, International Issues Club, Anti-Racism Week, Holocaust Survivor speakers, diversity of music on morning announcements, Bhangra Team, different cultures singing Christmas carols at Santa’s breakfast, collage of different countries’ flags in hallway, and Global Leadership
Local and Global Initiatives
• organizing fundraisers with proceeds donated to Variety Club Children's Telethon, Terry Fox, Cancer Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Jeans for Kids Day, Jump Rope for Heart, UNICEF, Poppy Fund, and Children's Hospital
• organizing drives (toy, food, book, coin, Milk Run) with donations to Christmas Hamper Fund, Richmond Food Bank, Children's Miracle Network, RCMP Memorial Funds, Canuck House, and United Way
• cooking and serving dinner at local seniors' homes
• cooking and serving dinner at downtown homeless shelters
• providing entertainment and crafts activities at local seniors' centres
• conducting anti-bullying and self-assertion sessions to local elementary schools
• gathering clothing and food for the SOS Children's Fund, Working for Warmth Campaign, and Coats for Kids Campaign
• collecting newspapers and towels for the SPCA
• organizing projects that make a difference in the community
• making wooden toys for donation to the Richmond Hamper Fund
• organizing community cleanup
• fundraising to support: an orphanage in Casa Guatemala, a school in Casa Guatemala
• sponsoring foster children in Guatemala and Haiti
• participating in extended field trip experiences to Costa Rica
• participating in extended field trip experiences to Cambodia
• Marlinaires’ Random Acts of Kindness
• McRoberts’ Global Leadership
• Palmer’s Friendship Club
• Burnett’s Tibet School
• peer helpers (Grades 11/12 students helping Grade 8s)
• social responsibility teams
• grad legacy
• Tsunami/hurricane relief
• senior brunches
• holiday socials
• Burnett in Tibet (building a school in Tibet)
• 30-hour famine
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