Summary
Highlights
Raelene Finlayson, the principal, emphasizes starting the day with joy and building a strong community where students and staff act like a family. This includes forgiving mistakes, embracing new moments, and ensuring everyone feels a sense of belonging. The school actively encourages sharing appreciations among students, highlighting a positive and supportive atmosphere.
Montrose School serves an area with high transiency, where 94% of students are considered high vulnerability, facing risks from trauma and poverty. The school addresses basic needs like nutritious food and exercise, alongside teaching self-care. The four core beliefs of the school are attentive listening, mutual respect, appreciations (no put-downs), and the right to pass, fostering a safe and respectful learning environment.
Almost half of Montrose's student population has special needs, including learning, physical, medical, or behavioral difficulties. These students are integrated into regular classrooms, where teachers cater to a wide range of learning styles. The curriculum is viewed as a means to explore the world, not just a checklist, with a strong emphasis on hands-on experiences and adapting teaching methods to suit individual needs.
A teacher, Mathieu, explains how challenging it can be to teach a classroom with diverse needs, including students with Individualized Program Plans (IPPs) and those struggling with social interactions. He emphasizes the importance of varied teaching methods like kinesthetic and visual learning. He also highlights the crucial step of building a strong sense of community and safety in the classroom before focusing on curriculum, allowing students to feel comfortable sharing and taking risks.
Mathieu shares an engaging writing competition where students had to write persuasively to influence his mustache style, judged anonymously to ensure fairness. Principal Raelene Finlayson points out that Montrose students excel in hands-on learning, with 95% of grade six students meeting acceptable standards in science and 50% achieving excellence, even among those with special needs or limited English proficiency.
Julie Davies discusses the importance of constantly adapting strategies to handle situations, especially during unstructured times like recess. They teach students friendship skills, how to handle problems, and how to ask others to play. Laurel Napora shares a touching story of a new student with severe anxiety who, over three weeks, was slowly integrated into her classroom through the collective efforts of the school staff and other children.
Raeven, a student, shares his experiences feeling labeled as a 'behavior kid' in his previous school. Principal Finlayson is helping him shed this label before junior high. Cory Mactaggart explains that Raeven learns best in his own way and space, emphasizing that 'behavior' is often just a different learning style. Raeven articulates his dislike for labels, feeling they are restrictive and limit personal growth.
The school incorporates daily community circles, where students can share their feelings and reasons behind them. This practice helps students learn about emotions, deal with issues, and develop social skills like respect and group cooperation. Laurel Napora stresses that building relationships and a strong classroom community is paramount, as it creates a safe and loving environment where students feel empowered to take risks in their learning.
Raelene Finlayson recounts a case where a student, Jack, was missing school due to his mother's struggles with poverty. She convened a meeting with school staff and a representative from the Family Centre to discuss comprehensive support, including academic interventions, social programs like soccer, and connecting with external agencies for therapy and mentorship. The school actively collaborates with organizations like Big Brothers/Big Sisters to provide positive role models.
An Elder leads a short prayer for the school, emphasizing unity, respect, strength, and a joyful learning environment. The sentiment, 'It takes a community to raise a child,' encapsulates the school's philosophy. Raelene Finlayson concludes by stating that 'none of the kids here belong to anybody but all of us,' reflecting the deep commitment to every student. The school's success is evident in its growth, from 130 to nearly 200 students, showcasing its positive impact on the community.