Around the district is a monthly update that includes a collection of stories from Richmond schools. These stories highlight Richmond's vibrant learning community which fosters student engagement, creativity, and well-being in inclusive learning environments.
Amplifying District Student Voice
On May 30th, 24 members of the District Student Voice working group met with the Trustees and senior leaders to talk about the importance of student voice across the district. It was a very engaging two-hour session and the students provided tremendous feedback to the trustees through a very well-prepared presentation. Students facilitated the event and took turns speaking to the slides that summarized the work of the group, articulating why student voice must continue to grow in our district. Equally impressive was the engagement at each table and the remarkable sophistication, depth, variety, and insight that students shared out at the end of the table conversations.
Child Care and Early Learning
Early learning and childcare are thriving in Richmond, and the StrongStart centres are pleased to have families and their children back in-person this year. Along with many other learning opportunities, there has been a focus on a drawing project at every StrongStart Centre. Observing and documenting children’s engagement helps educators adjust their practice to benefit the children. The district is also pleased to have opened its first Just B4 preschool at Lee Elementary in April and is already hearing positive feedback from parents.
Art-A-Thon 2022 – MacNeil Secondary
Recently, students at MacNeil Secondary collaborated on the theme - Time: Past/Present/Future for an art project. They began with a prototype design of a large-scale painting, and then tapped into their own life, culture, passions and history to produce an image that represented the time period they chose. 26 paintings were then displayed on wooden panels in the school’s gym hallway. The teacher invited classes to walk through “Time” and view these wonderful works. The art exhibition was greatly supported by staff, student families and friends. Together, the club raised $2,100 from the event to be donated to BC Cancer.
TABLE 38 Meeting
TABLE 38 has been a valued part of the student leadership and student voice fabric in Richmond for over 20 years. Despite the challenges created by the pandemic, TABLE38 has continued to meet regularly since the spring of 2020.
The final meeting of 2022 was a very positive way to end the year and celebrate the first face-to-face meeting in over two years! Student facilitators met several times leading up to the event to brainstorm, co-plan, and organize the agenda for the meeting. The chosen theme of “The Importance of Recognition and Gratitude in Leadership” was important, relevant and timely. Every element of the meeting was well organized and thoughtfully co-facilitated and allowed for students to have interactive and engaging table activities and group discussions. As our district administrator for Student Voice, Mr. Jim Allison, retires this week, we'd also like to thank and recognize him for his work in advancing student voice across the district- we've been very lucky to have him. We welcome Mr. Doug Ratzlaff into the role for next year.
Emerging Student Composer
Grade 11 Boyd student, Emma Murray, was selected to participate in this year’s “Emerging Composers” event hosted by Vancouver’s Hard Rubber Orchestra and she was the youngest of all the composers involved. Emma had her original composition, “That’s One Cool Dinosaur,” a sizzling Salsa tune, read and recorded by the 10-piece Hard Rubber Orchestra, which is made up of some of Vancouver’s top jazz musicians. The event offered an incredible opportunity for Emma to meet and mingle with some of Canada’s “best and brightest”. Congratulations to Emma!
McNair Marketing Students Get Lesson in Giving Back
This year, the senior marketing class students from McNair Secondary raised $2,100 for cancer research. Over the past 10 years, the students have raised a total of $11,127.50 for cancer research. The teacher and the students were very touched when they read a heartfelt thank you message from a cancer patient via the Community of Richmond’s Facebook page. Moving forward, students and staff hope to continue to support and make a difference to the future of cancer research.
Byng Elementary Celebrating 100 years!
Byng elementary celebrated a big birthday this year – the school turned 100! A week-long celebration kicked off with an assembly and culminated with the school’s first sports day in two years. Through various displays and activities, students learned about the school’s history, reflected on the changes over the years, and connected with different cultures. The celebration gave students and staff a great sense of connection and belonging to the school community.
Mitchell Rafting Trip
Grade 6 and 7 students at Mitchell Elementary recently enjoyed a one-day outdoor rafting trip in Squamish. This fantastic trip was guided by extremely knowledgeable leaders and included 2-hours of team-building activities, and a 3-hour scenic rafting experience on the kid-friendly Cheakamus Splash. This trip allowed students to experience an amazing outdoor adventure and make a direct connection with nature. The staff, students, and parent volunteers all raved about how much fun they had that day!
Lunch Hour Talent Show at Bridge Elementary
Students and staff were very excited to be able to hold their annual Toonie Talent Show in person again this year at Bridge. Over the course of four lunch hours, 60 students and staff members performed in front of an enthusiastic audience, showcasing talents in piano playing, dancing, singing, martial arts, car racing, joke-telling, Rubiks Cube races, gymnastics, guitar, iPad art, life lesson advice, puppeteering and more! All funds raised (almost $900) are being donated to help refugees from Ukraine. The school also collected three boxes of food for the Richmond Food Bank.
EVie Lesson Toolkit
Richmond School District teachers were the first municipality in Canada to be offered the Richmond EVie Lesson Toolkit (RELT), a digital teaching package program. The Kindergarten and Grade 1 students from Debeck Elementary observed how the program’s electric mascot Evie, had the same ‘heart plate’ as their teacher’s electric car. The lesson plan sparked creativity for students to submit designs of unique 3D cars and the class was awarded a $1000 cash prize for being the school with the most entries.
