Assignment+2

= = =Assignment 2 - Community Analysis and Report =

Community Data
[|LA Matheson Secondary School] is located in the[| Whalley] neighbourhood of [|Surrey, BC]. Surrey is situated in the southwest corner of BC, neighbouring the United States to the south, [|Langley] to the east, [|Delta] to the west, and [|Coquitlam], [|New Westminster], and [|Maple Ridge] to the north, across the Fraser River. In addition to the Fraser, two major rivers,[| the Serpentine and the Nicomekl], run through the city. The map below shows the location of the school, in the northwest corner of the city near its borders with Delta and New Westminster.

media type="custom" key="18970860"

Although the [|population of Surrey] has grown in the last 5 years (from 435,000 in 2006, to 484,000 in 2011) the 2006 [|Census Profile] of Surrey provides a good overview of the city as a whole. Surrey is the largest city in British Columbia by area, and second only to Vancouver in population. According to [|Fraser Health], Surrey is one of the fastest growing areas in Canada, however, the rate of growth is decreasing over time. 1991 census data showed a 35% increase in growth, whereas the latest data from 2011 shows only 13% growth. The growth rate is projected to continually decrease at about 2% per year until it reaches stability. There is a higher percentage of young people (27% under the age of 20) and a lower percentage of seniors (17% above the age of 65) when compared to the whole province. Although the percent of young people in Surrey is the highest in the province, the numbers are steadily decreasing, indicating that the population is aging as a whole.

Thirty-eight percent of the city's residents are immigrants, with the majority of recent immigrants coming from India. Aside from English, Punjabi is the most common language spoken at home, followed by Chinese and Hindi. The aboriginal population is low compared to provincial averages, estimated at 2%. Levels of education in Surrey are slightly lower than provincial averages. Of adults over the age of 25, 21% have never completed a high school program or equivalent, while 34% have never completed a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree program.The number of students who dropped out of school before grade 9 is also greater than in British Columbia as a whole.

Surrey is a large and diverse city with seven distinct [|communities]. As suggested in Chapter 3 of The Collection Program in Schools, "if the students in your school live in a large city ... additional demographics should relate to primarily the neighbourhood area in which most of the students live". In 2009, the [|Office of Early Childhood Development, Learning and Care for Surrey and White Rock] published a demographic profile of children and families in the city in partnership with United Way. I've summarized their findings in the graphs below:



This first graph compares the Whalley community to Surrey as a whole. Whalley has a population near 85,000 people and comprises 20% of the total population of Surrey. In our community we have a higher percentage of children under six, but a lower percentage of teenagers. There are higher rates of single-parent homes, families who rent (versus own) their homes, and child poverty in Whalley compared to the rest of the city. The report offers evidence that children from single-parent and low-income homes tend to exhibit poorer developmental outcomes and are less likely to well in and graduate from secondary school. Given the socioeconomic status of families in the area, the school library may be one of the few places where students (and their families) can use a computer, read a newspaper, or have a quiet place to work. The data also shows that, in line with the rest of the city, Whalley has a high rate (18%) of mobility, which means that children in the area change schools frequently. As Bishop mentions, when working with transient families, it is important to consider having "less permanent" items in the collection.

In edition to these economic factors, the study presents Whalley as a community with higher levels of immigrants, visible minorities, and aboriginals, as compared with the rest of Surrey.



The profile suggests that a diverse community can present both enrichment opportunities and challenges. Aboriginal people are more likely to have lower levels of education and higher dropout rates, and children of recent immigrants are also more likely to struggle in school. The level of education of adults in the community is presented in this final graph: Compared to the rest of Surrey, the percent of people who don't graduate high school in Whalley is higher. According to a recent [|article] in the Vancouver Sun, an area within the school's catchment zone has the highest drop-out rate in Metro Vancouver. The level of education of adults in our community is of specific concern within a school, because, as described in the Early Childhood development study, the achievement and social behaviour of children is strongly related to the education of their parents.

The demographics of the neighbourhood only provide part of the picture. Politically, the area around the school is an NDP riding, both provincially and federally. The majority of local businesses are in the retail sector (restaurants, gas stations, food and convenience stores), which provides ideal job opportunities for our students. Although the largest employer in the city is the school district itself, the largest employer close to the school is Surrey Memorial Hospital. There are two major roads within two blocks of the school, serviced by buses that allow access to students and their families around the city and to the [|Skytrain], which connects Surrey to downtown Vancouver, Richmond, and the cities in between. In addition to the public transit system, the school community has easy access to two major highways (Trans-Canada 1 and 99) which allow commuters convenient routes in and out of the city for work.

There a several [|post-secondary institutions] that offer members of the community degree, diploma, and certificate programs. Both Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University have campuses in Surrey. In addition to the universities, there are nearly 30 other registered trade and career schools operating in the city. There are 25 public [|secondary schools], including the learning centres and [|Surrey Connect], nearly 100 public [|elementary schools], and a number of private and religious schools. Within an 8-block radius of the school, there are 16 licensed child care facilities, ranging from family daycare centres, to preschool and after school care programs.

Support programs for families near the school reflect the unique challenges of the population. Social housing options include aboriginal residences, co-ops, and mental health and addiction recovery housing. Community organizations are in place to support youth and families, such as the [|Whalley Family Place] and the [|Maxxine Wright Community Health Centre]. A number of employment services have been established to support adults, youth, aboriginals, and immigrants in finding work. The city and its partner organizations (for example, [|S.U.C.C.E.S.S.]) also offer support for immigrant families, including free [|English classes], [|youth outreach], translation services, refugee housing, and other integration strategies.

While the majority of cultural activities in the city (the Cloverdale Rodeo, theatres, museums, art galleries) are not located in the Whalley neighbourhood, they are easily accessed by the transportation system. The public library system has 9 branches, two of which are located near the school. There are frequently large festivals (including [|Party for the Planet] and Fusion Festival), including musical performances and food, which take place in the nearby Central City area. There are over 500 parks and green spaces in the city, many in the area surrounding the school, and ample other opportunities for physical activity, including recreation centres, skate parks, hiking trails, arenas, and sport fields.

School Data


LA Matheson Secondary School is a designated Inner City school (20% of our our families have an income below $30,000 annually and 19% of our students come from single parent families). The school community is currently made up of 1390 grade 8-12, four administrators, 73 teaching staff (teachers, counselors, teacher-librarian), and dozens of support staff, including office workers, custodians, SEA's, safe school liasons, lunchtime supervisors, support workers, and school volunteers.

According to our current school plan, 38 different ethnic groups are represented at the school, with 69% of our students speaking a language other than English at home. More of our students speak Punjabi at home (44%) than English, and the third most common language spoken is Hindi (11%). Last year there were 70 aboriginal students enrolled in the school, about 5% of the total population. This group of students is supported through the ELL department, by multicultural support workers, by an aboriginal support worker, and an aboriginal education coordinator. The staff and students have made efforts to promote and encourage cultural diversity at the school. The multicultural club is one of the largest in the school, and organizes a multicultural awareness week as well as the "Diggin' the Roots" event, an evening showcase that raises money for BC Children's Hospital.

media type="youtube" key="HKnw5yjelxk" height="315" width="420" align="center"

Academically, the student population tends to fall below the district and provincial averages. Of the schools in BC, LA Matheson is ranked 245 out of 280, according to the [|Fraser Institute]. During the 2010/2011 school year, the average on Provincial Examinations ranged from 57 - 69%. Since 2002, the average graduation rate is 92%, compared to a provincial average of 94%, but our drop out rate is increasing year to year. The average failure rate in core academic courses ranges from 13-18%, but for aboriginal students is as high as 50% for some students. At the end of the 2009/2010 school year, 24% of our students were not meeting expectations and 63% were only minimally meeting expectations in the district's reading assessment ([|RAD36]). The school does not offer any AP, IB, or honours courses, so it doesn't tend to draw students from the area looking for advanced programs, and enrollment in senior academic courses (languages, pre-calculus, physics, chemistry, history, etc.) is low.

A high percentage (11.2%) of Matheson's students are designated as special needs. These students receive varying degrees of support from our LST, BASES, and Lifeskills departments and are integrated into "regular" courses, where possible.

Despite the academic struggles, there are some very successful programs at Matheson. The school cafeteria is run by the school's chef training and culinary arts program. Students from grade 10 - 12 learn how to work in the industry under the guidance of a teaching chef, and an assistant. Student chefs are given the opportunity to create their own menus, which are then sold to the school at lunch. The music and theatre programs are popular among students. School plays and music performances are well attended by staff, parents, and other students. Enrollment is also increasing in our work experience and co-op programs. Students have modified schedules which allow them to go out on work placements in addition to their normal classes. The program is facilitated by a full-time teacher and a support worker.

There is a positive energy and strong sense of community in the school. Our students are very involved in athletics, including swimming, soccer, rugby, wrestling, badminton, basketball, volleyball, cross-country, and cricket. The student council and leadership team organize events such as pancake breakfasts, spirit weeks, school dances, Girl's Night In, Terry Fox Run, staff appreciation lunches, school barbecues, and lunchtime intramural activities. Our halls are always decorated for the season by members of the yearbook class and leadership team. The school talent show, Matheson Idol, is a multi-day event because so many students take part. In addition to the multicultural club, there is a Japanese club, and environmental club, a global issues club, and a social justice committee. The nature of these extracurricular activities demonstrates our students' selflessness and passion for helping others.

media type="youtube" key="TIAah-VOg2w" height="315" width="420" align="center"

There are certainly students who remain marginalized within the school. There are many who have rough and often disturbing home lives, who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, who have mental health issues, and who deal with bullying from their peers. We have a number of support services in place. We share a drug and alcohol counselor with other schools, have a full-time youth-care worker, and are home to the [|YES Program], a district program that assists "vulnerable students who are experiencing, social, emotional, academic and/or behavioural problems or challenges that impact their ability to experience success at school".

The teaching staff at the school is fairly young; About a third of the staff have been teaching for less than 10 years. There are some staff who have been teaching at the same school for over 15 years, but for the most part there is a high rate of staff turnover. This is partly due to the high needs of our students (some staff find the work environment to be draining) and partly due to the school's location. There is a mix of backgrounds among staff. Some have had careers prior to teaching, others have been teaching since they graduated from university. Some have masters degrees in education or in their teaching areas in addition to their teaching degrees. Some live in Surrey, others commute from neighbouring communities. On Friday mornings, we have a collaboration time built into the school schedule. In addition to collaborative planning, the staff has formed groups focused on improving literacy, on social responsibility, on educational technology, and improving exam scores. Through a combination of collaboration and spending time together socially, the staff is very close and communicates openly.

Partners and Community Resources
As suggested in chapter 3 of The Collection Program in Schools, the local public library system can be the most valuable ally of the school media centre specialist. The closest branches of the Surrey Public Library are the [|Strawberry Hill] and [|City Centre] locations. The collection at these branches is much more extensive than that available at the schools, in terms of both the physical collection, multimedia resources, and access to [|online databases]. It may be possible to arrange an interlibrary loan program to borrow resources from the public library, or at the very least, create a link on the school library website to the public library catalogue so students can see what's available. The librarians at the public library would also be invaluable resources for a beginning teacher-librarian. They could provide information the the local community, its services, and potentially other partner organizations to help shape and build the program within the school.

The local university campuses of [|Simon Fraser] and [|Kwantlen Polytechic] University may also be potential community partners. The libraries and librarians at these facilities would be beneficial resources in a similar way as those in the public system. In addition to utilizing the resources of these facilities, it might also be possible to connect with faculty members at the universities to arrange opportunities for guest speakers to come meet with classes in the library. It may also be possible to arrange online chats or video conference calls between students and experts in fields related to student projects.

For the curriculum area I'm specifically focusing on (Science 10), the majority of research projects centre around the unit on ecosystems. Two local environmental agencies, the [|Surrey Nature Centre] and the [|Burns Bog Conservation Society], could provide opportunities for students to explore their local environment. Although field studies may be outside of the realm of the school library, volunteers from these organizations may be willing to come in to share samples or information with the students, or lend resources and studies on relevant topics to the teacher-librarian. For the section on the course on radioactivity, another potential partner would be [|TRIUMF]. Located on the University of British Columbia Campus. TRIUMF is the national particle and nuclear physics laboratory. It has a physical library on site, and may be able to provide student access to journal articles related to the chemistry unit. It is also home to the nation's top nuclear physicists, who, like local university faculty members, may be able to meet with students in person or through online networking.

Other potential partners include those within the school district itself. Nearby secondary and elementary school libraries may have items or resources in their collections that we don't and may be willing to arrange for interlibrary loans. The aboriginal education department would be incredibly valuable in teaching the aboriginal science portion of the curriculum. Cultural workers are available to come to the library or to classes to speak to students on aboriginal themes, including those relevant to the Science 10 outcomes.

Grade Level and Curriculum Information
Every student who is hoping to graduate with a Dogwood diploma at the end of high school is required to take Science 10, so with the exception of students on modified programs (there are some enrolled in this course, but relatively few) the average Science 10 class is similar to the school population as a whole. Throughout the school year, there are usually 10 blocks of the course run, with between 25 and 30 students per class. I taught four blocks of Science 10 this year, a total of 111 students. Of this sample, 14% were designated ELL and 11% special needs (usually a learning disability). The majority were grade 10 students taking the course for the first time, but three were grade 11's on their second attempt, and three were grade 12's on their third attempt.

There are six members of the Science department who have taught the course over the last two years and remain on staff (others have left on leaves or transferred to/been placed at other schools). Three of them would be considered "veteran" teachers, and the other three are relatively new to the profession, although no one was teaching the course for the first time. Four of us are Biology teachers and the other two are Chemistry teachers, so expertise in the physics and earth science units of the course is underrepresented. Despite suggestions to the contrary from school administrators and our department head, all six of us teach all four major units of the class. It has been recommended that we omit a unit and focus on the other three in an attempt to improve provincial exam grades, but the idea has not been popular with teachers. While one of the teachers does all instruction from the classroom, the other five (including myself) have made use of the media centre and the teacher librarian to support the course. If the number of teachers who used the collection for Science 10 had been larger, I would have conducted a survey to determine their thoughts and opinions as suggested by Bishop. Because there are only four (five including myself), I opted for walking across the hall for a more informal chat. The main way we use the library for our Science 10 classes is for project research, using books, online databases, and other internet resources. This was followed by checking out videos to show the class and using the online video streaming services (originally arranged by our teacher-librarian) to find videos.

The library is open from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, except on days when staff meetings or other meetings are being held after school. It operates on a flexible schedule. Teachers are able to book slots in the library through an online calendar and usually collaborate with the teacher-librarian in deciding how the time will be used. Aside from three TL prep blocks per week, the library can be booked for all other blocks. There are times during the year when it can be difficult to book times, due to grade 8 orientation, English 12 practice exams, or just the busy nature of such a large school. The TL is often able to make accommodations when multiple teachers want to book their classes at the same time. Earlier this year I wanted to do a research project on biomes with two blocks of Science 10. The library was already booked for Humanities 8 classes, but we were able to arrange to bring a cart of books and the mobile laptop cart to my classroom. The librarian came to us for half the block and helped the students navigate the information search as well as the program they were using to complete the final product.We are also able to send up to 3 students at a time to the library to work on assignments, write tests, check out materials, or conduct research as long as they are written a pass.

When students visit the library with their whole Science 10 class, they are usually working on a project. They use the computers for research, word processing, creating blogs and websites, and using Powerpoint, Prezi, Timeline, Glogster, and countless other free online programs to present their information. They also use the more concrete aspects of the collection, including books and reference volumes for their research activities, and are able to sit around big tables to plan assignments as a group. Students also visit the library before school, at lunch, and after school to study together for tests and quizzes and to use the computers to complete assignments. Outside of their course work, students at our school use the library to sign out books for pleasure reading, to read books and magazines, and to use the internet for social networking and e-mailing.