School Story in Action 2023-2024 

June 27, 2024 

This is our final School Story post for the 2023/24 school year. We would like to thank you for engaging with the students learning each week. Our goal continues to be to build connections between the students’ voice, their leaning and the Steves Community. 

Our community has let us know they value a safe and inclusive environment where they can see themselves and be themselves regardless of ethnicity, nationality, language, abilities, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and religious and spiritual beliefs.  

In scanning our staff and students we recognize that we needed a common lens to communicate clearly amongst all staff, with family, and community. This affects both student understanding, behaviour and school decisions and input. With this lens, we hope to be able to explain why we do what we do, what excites us and what is not working. We also recognized the need to ensure that we were hearing and creating space for all voices. This includes voices who may not always be heard at first and those voices that are often marginalized. 

At our Professional Development Day in May, staff spent time working with the Power of Privilege Wheel, we analyzed the data we collected about what is important to our school community to write the following lens. 

Steves is a safe learning community where we strive to: 

• create a sense of belonging 

• see ourselves 

• work together 

• build connections to the land and our community 

• respond to change 

Since this time, we have used this lens to make decisions and double check our work around a variety of activities including track, graduation celebrations, our school calendar, and Fun Day. 

We are excited to continue to use this lens in the 2024/25 school year.  

June 21, 2024 

Rainbow Ukeleles began as part of rainbow club.  It is a place where all are welcome. Students of all ages and skill levels can immerse themselves in fun music making, however that might look for them. Students build confidence and autonomy, allowing them to teach others.  It has become an inclusive jam session at outdoor times such as recess and Fun Day. This also makes room for friendship making and community connections. Initiatives like this are driven by staff and student interest, in this case, spearheaded by an Educational Assistant (EA).  

This links to our School Story focus in the following way:   

Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational. 

(First Peoples Principals of Learning)