LIBE 463: Community and School Analysis and Report
The Community: Ladner, Delta
Ladner is one of three subdivisions of the Municipality of Delta (Ladner, North Delta and Tsawassen). With the developments of condominiums to support the village’s population growth, it is quickly becoming a suburb. Looking at the 2011 census, the Municipality of Delta has a population count at 99,863 (Focus on Geography Series, Census 2011). Of that figure, Ladner accounts for 18,545 (“Ladner Delta Neighbourhood, 2012”). The median age was 42.8 years compared to the national median age of 40.6 years old. As well, the median income was $71,590, which is much higher than the national average of $54,089.
Ladner is a small historic fishing village located in northwest Delta. The main industries in Ladner are fishing and farming, however, many are employed in retail, services, manufacturing and construction as well (Cowling, n.d.). Although the village has seen changes in the demographic make up over the years, as more Chinese and Indo-Canadian farming families have moved into the area, Ladner is still a predominantly Caucasian community. Ladner is also home to the Delta Municipal Hall, the Delta Police Station, and the Delta Hospital. Longtime residents say that Ladner has a ‘small town’ feel to it with a good sense of community.
Delta’s racial profile consists of: Caucasians at 67.5%; South Asians,17.2%;East Asians, 5.7%; Southeast Asians, 3.2; Aboriginals, 2.3%; Latin American, 0.7%; Black, 0.5%; West Asian and Arab each at 0.1%; Multiracial 0.7%; and Other at 0.3%. These numbers suggest that Delta is a somewhat diverse city but tends to be a predominantly Caucasian community (“Delta, British Columbia. n.d.”).
The School: Delta Secondary
As highlighted on Delta School District website, the district has 24 elementary and 7 secondary schools. Delta Secondary is located at 4615 51st Street in Ladner. In 2015, Delta Secondary had the highest rate of special needs population in the district at 21.9% and an ESL population of 1.8%. In my discussion with the vice principal, the current enrollment number for the 2016-2017 school year is 1152. In addition, there are 141 full-time international students enrolled at Delta Secondary. The bulk of the local student population comes from the elementary schools in the area and from Tsawassen First Nations. The nearby elementary schools are Hawthorne, Holly, Ladner, Port Guichon and Neilson Grove.
According to Cowley & Easton (2016), Delta Secondary had a graduation rate of 96.8% in 2015. Furthermore, the results of OurSCHOOL Secondary School Survey, which was taken between April 5 and April 13, 2016, reported the average mark in Language Arts was 76% while the Canadian norm was 78%. In Math, the average mark was 78% while the Canadian norm was 76%. In Science, the average was 80% and the Canadian norm was 77% (The Learning Bar, 2016). The survey highlighted 80% of students in school plan to complete high school in comparison to the Canadian norm at 83%. Additionally, 63% of students plan to continue on to post secondary education in comparison to the Canadian norm at 66%. These numbers suggest that the students at Delta Secondary are being guided by teachers and counsellors effectively thus producing fairly high exam results and the graduation rate.
The Learning Commons at Delta Secondary operates Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am-3:30 pm and Friday from 8:00am-3:00pm. It operates on a budget of $6000 per year. In addition to regular services and class activities, the learning commons is used for staff meetings, clubs and student council meetings. It has two floors, of which the first floor can serve two classes at a time, while the second floor, which is reserved only for grades 11 and 12, can further accommodate approximately another 30 students. There are three seminar rooms that can be booked online on FirstClass. The main floor is well equipped with a photocopier, computers, seating, and pull-apart tables, making this a flexible and usable space that is able to accommodate a variety of school and/or learning activities. The Learning Commons operates on a flexible schedule but students need to present a written consent to the teacher-librarian to access the library during class time by way of a pink slip system that the teacher-librarian has implemented.
The Curriculum: English 9
An English class of 24 students will work in groups of 4 on a Novel Study project. The novel the students will read is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The English teacher will collaborate with the Aboriginal Studies teacher and the teacher–librarian. The learning commons will be booked in advance for the students to research aspects of indigenous culture to provide a context for understanding the novel. Topics of research may include:
- Residential Schools
- Indian Act
- Reserves
- Various Treaties
The contents to be covered will include:
- Elements of visual/graphic text
- Reading strategies
- Writing processes
- Presentation techniques
- Metacognitive strategies
Students are expected to demonstrate competencies in:
- Access information and ideas for diverse purpose and from a variety of sources and evaluate their relevance, accuracy and reliability
- Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral and visual texts, guide inquiry, and extend thinking
- Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts
- Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
- Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
- Exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking
- Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes and audiences
- Use an increasing repertoire of conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Potential Partners/ Collaborators:
Another potential partner for not only English teachers but
also Socials and Science teachers to collaborate with is the Tsawassen First
Nation. Collaborating and working with Tsawassen
First Nation in creating activities and projects driven by students’ queries
and interest using primary and secondary sources. Additionally, with enough preparation a
learning commons could set up a “human library” program, similar to the
existing Human Library project, where students could “check out” a volunteer
from the Tsawassen First Nation and engage in small group dialogue. This kind of activity would require extensive
preparation with the students to ensure respectful interaction. However, having something such as a “human
library” as a component of the learning commons will likely engage students and
teachers and build relationship within the Tsawassen First Nation community.
References
Building Student Success - BC's New Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved October 03, 2016, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/90
Cowley, P & Easton, S. (2016, August). Report Card on British Columbia’s Secondary Schools 2016. Retrieved from http://britishcolumbia.compareschoolrankings.org/pdfs/Fraser_Institute_Report_Card_on_British_Columbia’s_Secondary_Schools_2016.pdf
Delta British Columbia. (n.d) In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta,_British_Columbia
Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. (n.d). https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=5915011
Ladner Delta Neighborhood Info. (2012, July 12 ) Retrieved from http://www.rew.ca/news/ladner-delta-neighbourhood-info-1.2096239)
The Learning Bar Inc. (2016). Report on Student Outcome and School Climate OurSCHOOL Secondary School Survey (4090) [Delta Secondary Highlights].
Your SLLC sounds amazing! My school population was higher than yours and our Library was nowhere near in size or functionality. How great for your students!
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