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.
Indigenous Drum Making Sessions
In March, Darren Charlie, also known as Qwetoselten, a well-known drum maker from the Sts’sailes Indian Band, located near Harrison Hot Springs, held drum-making sessions to share his knowledge of drum-making and singing with Indigenous students in our district.
Darren has more than 30 years of drum-making experience and was taught by elders from the Sts’ailes community. Many of his drums are in use in longhouses in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. He has provided Indigenous drum-making sessions to our district for several years and supports Indigenous ways of learning, while creating space for Indigenous students to learn cultural teachings.
1000 Paper Cranes for Peace
Students at Wowk Elementary completed an art piece of one thousand paper cranes, which is now on display in the main lobby of the board office. After reading the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, Sadako’s story of courage and perseverance inspired the class to fold their cranes in memory of Sadako and her story. Students spent over a week making these cranes. Although it is impossible to understand what Sadako went through, folding the cranes gave the students a glimpse into her life. These paper cranes are a great reminder of the importance of building peace in the world.
McMath Senior Girls Basketball Team Wins Provincial Championship
The McMath senior girls’ basketball team won the B.C. School Sports AAA Girls Basketball Provincial championship, which was held at the Langley Event Centre on March 5th, 2022. The team worked extremely hard the entire year and was thrilled to take home the school’s first provincial championship title in history. Congratulations to this amazing group of players!
Women’s History Month at Diefenbaker
Student leaders at Diefenbaker created a Women’s History Month display to recognize the importance of International Women’s Day. Students reflected on the women who inspired them and shared inspiring sayings from famous women including industry leaders, historical figures, authors, current celebrities, and athletes. Through this project, students were able to recognize many of the significant contributions made by women throughout history.
McNair Jazz Band Secures a GOLD Finish at the Vancouver Kiwanis Festival
The Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival is BC’s premiere music festival, the oldest and largest of its kind in the province, and one of the largest Music Festivals in Canada. Every year over 7,000 music students participate in four distinct events including the Jazz Bands Festival; the Choral Festival; the Concert Band &Orchestra Festival and the Main Festival for solo musicians and small ensembles.
McNair Secondary’s Jazz Band received gold at the Vancouver Kiwanis Festival. This first-place finish was for three pieces: Just Friends, My One and Only Love, and Uptown Throwdown. Congratulations to the students and music director at McNair for this accomplishment.
Rainbow Structures at Quilchena Elementary
A class of students at Quilchena elementary used Lego blocks to build rainbow structures. After making the structures, students were challenged with a question about their design: How can we adjust the structures to make them stronger? Through a few rounds of discussion and team collaboration, students successfully found different methods to make stronger structures. This was a great activity for students to spark creativity, practice critical thinking and hone their fine motor skills!
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
Students at Spul’u’kwuks participated in the celebration for St. Patrick’s Day! After learning about the history and origins of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, including traditions like leprechauns, wearing green, and the pot of gold, students enjoyed the process of making Leprechaun hats. A variety of fun activities covering art, math, English, and history-filled this day of celebration.
Carnival at Mitchell Elementary
Mitchell Elementary organized a school-wide event to introduce the Quebec Carnaval fun to the school’s English and French classes! Each day during the week, events focused on one component of Carnaval. Activities touched on the history of Carnaval, as well as traditional dances, songs, and art activities. The event ended with a parade celebration. Students and staff danced and sang with Bonhomme (known as the official ambassador of the Carnaval de Québec) in the parade! Bonhomme also visited all the classrooms to deliver maple cookies to all the students. This was a fun event for students to learn about the culture and celebrate with their school community!
