Spirit of Community at Clayburn
“Opportunity is the precursor of ability.” This phrase, coined by Norm Kunc and Emma Van der Klift, advocates for individuals with disabilities. At a presentation they led on the topic of opportunity, they stated that “You can’t learn to swim in the parking lot of a swimming pool.” This is something that resonated with me. Learning is contextual, and students need to be provided opportunities to grow.
The pandemic has served as an opportunity for us to think creatively outside the box on how we build community for students and staff. One of our school goals is to increase a sense of belonging for both students and staff. Early in the pandemic, we recognized that students would not have the same opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities. As a result, we developed an opportunity to connect once a term with a cross-section of students from each grade, once a term in a group we call Clayburn Connections. During this time, the principal and I pose several questions to students, one of which is, “What are some opportunities we should consider as a school community?” Our students shared some of their ideas with us: a second Gaga Ball pit and more activities to participate in. Based on their feedback, we collaborated with our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). They were able to support our school by purchasing various equipment, including a second Gaga Ball pit, Connect 4, bean bag tosses Spike Ball, to name a few. Students who had a chance to share their feedback were able to see that their voice matters and that, as a school community, it is an area we value. To support students with these opportunities, we looked at how we could increase adult connections. As a result, during lunchtime, our Education Assistants (EAs) spend time building purposeful connections during the eating period and outside play periods.
Building community has not been restricted to only our students. At the start of this year, we introduced the Spirit of Clayburn Award, in which staff (both teachers and support staff) recognize each other for going above and beyond, living our school’s motto of Exceed Expectations. The recipients of this award get to share “custody” of a Dr. Bonnie Henry bobblehead doll for two weeks, and then at our next staff meeting, share this honour with another colleague. Our teaching staff recognize support staff, and support staff recognize teachers.
Everyone in our school community can make students and staff feel connected and make their world feel bigger during the current reality we are in. While these may seem like small things, they make a significant impact. Opportunity is the precursor to ability, and the pandemic has provided us an opportunity to do things differently.