Blog Posts

I have recently had some conversations with youth in our schools regarding what matters to them in their education. They point to having adults who care about them, opportunities to engage in different kinds of activities, and social groups that they feel a part of. This seems to make sense and I would argue this is what we hope to achieve in our middle schools for all of our learners. Given our middle school vision of “joyful, inquiry-based approaches that create access to experience and opportunities to develop agency, identity, and belonging”, we are headed down the right path.

The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair remarked in an impassioned plea that “we need to pursue reconciliation consistently and passionately. Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out. We see this as our challenge and our hope.”

This year at Fraser Middle School, we have been exploring ways to promote the conditions necessary to enable all students to reach their full potential.  Although this endeavor is not a new one, this year we decided to view this important work through a social/emotional lens.  We recognize that academic excellence is a huge part of every student’s potential, but also understand that the social and emotional aspects of a student’s learning experience are just as important.  After all, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “intelligence is not enough.

No doubt your learning community, like ours, is filled with stories from students and staff that paint a picture of how impactful the floods have been.  One thing that is also worth noting is that it is in these moments of hardship and uncertainty that the kindness of others is reflected most evidently.

This year at W.A. Fraser Middle School, students experienced numerous learning opportunities. At the various grade levels students spent time learning about the truth of Canada’s Residential School System, the lasting impact it has had on Indigenous people, and the ongoing struggles Indigenous people and communities continue to face. This spring, teachers collaborated with our Indigenous support worker, Elizabeth Nahanee, to create the “Advocacy Tree”.