Indigenous Education School Plan

Indigenous Education School Plan 2024-25
School: West Vancouver Secondary School

School Aboriginal Education Committee: Steve Rauh (P), Jennifer Towers (VP), Sarah Cormier, Josh Foote, Will Walton, Ryley Larway (teachers), Destiny Nahanee (student), Norah Holtby (EA)

School Contact Person(s): Jennifer Towers, Sarah Cormier

Activities, events, speakers, presentations, projects etc. that have occurred at your location over the past two years:

• Continue to develop and promote English First Peoples 10 and 11
• Continue to develop and promote BC First Nations 12
• Continuing school wide participation in Moosehide Campaign in May 2025
• Second annual school march component for September Truth and Reconciliation Day – after whole school presentation with Bob Baker
• Multiple staff ProD presentations and workshops
• Pro D Day November 2024 focused on Land Acknowledgements and writing them authentically through various stations on Indigenous plants, Squamish Language, tracing pathways to this land on a map, learning about the district Land Acknowledgement and its origins in the Squamish Nation
• Shared video of Xwalacktun sharing the story of the WVSS talking stick. Let staff know that this talking stick can be signed out of the library for classes to use along with the video that explores the protocols for storytelling on this land.
• Ongoing development of district-centric Cedar Room at WVSS for celebration and understanding of Aboriginal issues and culture
• Support of district-centric Cedar Room at WVSS as space for district Indigenous Success Program
• Creation of dedicated reading room in library highlighting and celebrating Indigenous authors and texts
• Increased promotion of Orange shirt day amongst staff and students, and in the classrooms
• Continue working on dedicated showcase celebrating the Squamish Nation inside our main entrance
• Continue to develop professional development for staff to embed aboriginal education across all curricular areas
• Completed indigenous themed circle seating area in lower and 2nd floor West Wing 
  • encourage more teachers to use the circle spaces in the school with cedar benches for class activities and continue to decolonize practice in the spaces we have indigenized.
• Complete naming and signage of different parts of the school with Sahplek and Becky
• Promotion and teaching of significance of Red Dress Day May 5
• Invite DJ OShew in to play for our students
• Printed and laminate Calls to Action and display prominently by themes throughout the year
• Plan school level celebrations for National Indigenous People’s Day June 21

Action Plan for 2024-25

• Connections to BC Curriculum 
  • Continue to unpack and develop strategies and understandings
  • Have created opportunities at staff meetings and school based ProD
  • Make Orange Shirt Day a focus/launching point for increased awareness and understanding of Aboriginal issues in all curricular areas
  • Continue to explore addition of Moosehide Campaign initiative 
  • Look at getting the signs posted around the school that name locations in the Squamish Language- These parts of the school were named but the signs have not been installed yet
• First Peoples Principles of Learning (how will you embed these in your work with students this year?)
  • Posters in every classroom
  • Staff present at each staff meeting what they are doing
  • Make a standing discussion item at each Department Head meeting
  • make as a standing item at each staff meeting
• Parent Education 
  • Need to increase our parent engagement and understanding this year
  • Ensure inclusion of Territory Acknowledgement at all events
• Community Partnerships
  • Continue to work with Alroy Baker Bob Baker, Xwalacktun, and other members of the Squamish Nation
  • Explore new community connection possibilities
• Student Support – Success Teachers/Counsellors 
  • Carol Langley continues to connect with students on a regular basis
  • Carol Langley took students on highly successful field trip to Cheakamus Centre last year – planning several similar field trips with our Aboriginal youth again for this year
  • Connecting our students with tutoring services
  • Welcome to Maria Dawson as our school’s Aboriginal Success teacher!
  • leverage support of new Indigenous Success Teacher to support our 29 self-identified Aboriginal youth and their families

District support and resources needed this year:

• Continue financial support of our students for purchases of food, bus passes, clothing etc
• Continue providing professional development opportunities for staff to assist with implementation of new curriculum
• Continue to offer opportunities where youth from all three secondary schools can connect and build friendships and common understandings
• Get resources in place to expedite the installation of signs around the school naming the locations in Squamish.