Blog Posts

At Abbotsford Traditional School we have a strong commitment to student achievement. Academic goals of improving numeracy and reading comprehension are two of our focuses. Aligning staffing with school goals is a sure way of keeping our eye on success. At ATS we have a middle Math Department head and a middle English Language Arts department head who work regularly with their team to talk about curriculum, instruction, and assessment to do our best to ensure that our students learn to the best of their ability.

Aldous Huxley said that “words can be like rays. When they are used properly, they are able to get through anything.”

At Rick Hansen Secondary, I have had the great privilege of working to develop new Creative Writing courses that satisfy English credits for grade 11. For those students who love to read, are curious about writing and publishing, and need a creative outlet to express their thoughts, worries, and experiences in ways that are not visual—photography, visual art, theatre—Creative Writing 11 has become a haven.

When asked to reflect on a classroom, most of us will envision rows of desks facing a blackboard where a teacher stands. For decades, this image has represented the learning space for millions of students and yet excludes how we learn naturally and daily in non-school environments. True knowing and understanding mean being able to transfer knowledge from one setting to another. This requires a varied approach to teaching and learning, ultimately creating the opportunity for our students to explore their passions.

“When are we going to meet again?” Students at Chief Dan George Middle school are always eager to participate in our bi-monthly student councils. We have made it our mission to prioritize student voice by taking the time to listen and act on their thoughts and ideas.

Over the last six months, our secondary schools have launched B.C.’s first-ever Student Community of Practice for Equity (SCOPE). Fifty-two grade eleven students, with teachers and school administration, are exploring a fundamental inquiry: What does it look like to center student voice and leadership through ongoing cycles of listening, uncovering, reimagining and, ultimately, moving forward with action?

We all know by now that education is not just about cramming information into students’ minds but about nurturing them in a way that develops young people to their full potential.  

Many Eugene Reimer school community members have deep roots in farming and agriculture in the Fraser Valley and beyond. Our catchment stretches across most of West Abbotsford’s agricultural areas, and many of our students and their families are involved in this industry. During last year's Farmer’s protests, we were reminded that even our students who live in the suburban areas of our catchment have strong familial connections to farming.

Abbotsford Middle School is an International Baccalaureate school.  IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.  One of our primary goals is to develop Internationally minded students who recognize their humanity and shared guardianship, which is not difficult for us because we are a school of great cultural diversity.

Student success is a focus of the Abbotsford School District. The desire for student success permeates through all levels, from senior management to building administrators, classroom and support teachers, education assistants, and students. At Abbotsford Traditional School (ATS), we have a reputation for preparing our students for the expectations and rigours of university–academic student success. This is one kind of student success. Another kind of student success is accomplishing academic achievement in parallel to student well-being.

One of W.A Fraser Middle’s grade 6 teachers, Crystal Davids, was moved by the powerful stories from the Walking Forward Together conference to bring truth to our students around the impact of racist legislation, cultural theft, and residential schools. Mrs. Davids “felt like I wanted to do more” to move forward with her class in discussions around Truth and Reconciliation.