SCHOOL STORY

Admiral Seymour Elementary is in a thriving neighborhood between Glen Drive and Vernon Drive on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver with students from many diverse cultures. The school serves 142 students from Kindergarten through 7th grade, representing a diverse range of ethnicities such as Indigenous, Syrian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Colombian, French, Lebanese, and Jordanian. The students come from homes where languages such as English, Arabic, Spanish, Cantonese, Punjabi, and Vietnamese are spoken. Approximately 37% of our students are English Language Learners.

Our school has a rich history, with its first building constructed in 1900 and a second brick building added in 1907. In 2000, Seymour Elementary celebrated its centennial with a celebration spanning through the decades. Over the years, as the neighborhood has evolved, so has the school, becoming a dynamic and vibrant hub of the community.

Classes at Seymour Elementary are organized as combined classes, grouping students from different grade levels together. The combined classes include Kindergarten, 1st/2nd grade, 2nd/3rd grade, 3rd/4th grade, 4th/5th/6th grades and 6th/7th grade. The students adapt well to various instructional settings, including individual work, classroom activities, and small group configurations.

The safety and well-being of the students are paramount at Seymour Elementary. The school has two before and after-school care providers: Raycam, located at Hastings and Campbell, and the YMCA, which operates on the school premises. Additionally, the school offers school-based after-school programs focused on sports, Science, and leadership. The school has established significant partnerships with community groups, including the Saint James Music Academy for music programs and the Writer's Exchange for after-school writer's workshops. According to the MDI survey, 82% of Seymour students who took the survey reported having a positive after-school activity that contributes to their well-being.

To ensure students have access to nutritious meals, Admiral Seymour Elementary provides a breakfast program and a lunch program. The school also participates in the BC Agriculture in the Classroom initiative, receiving monthly shipments of fruits and vegetables. In conjunction with Fresh Roots Urban Farming Society and Growing Chefs, our school hosted a Lunch Lab “pop up” for the first time in the Spring of 2023, wherein students took part in the preparation, cooking and serving of nutritious food for the whole school. Healthy snacks are always available, and the school participates in the Backpack Buddies program, which allows students to take food home each week.

Additionally, Seymour Elementary serves as a Strong Start site, welcoming children between the ages of 1 month and 5 years on weekday mornings from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The Strong Start Centre provides a welcoming space for families and caregivers to connect while offering preschoolers access to a rich and high-quality learning environment.

Our valuable community contributors include the Terminal City Club, Lawson Lundell LLP, BC, and Yukon Book Prizes, Sentinel Secondary and Brooksbank Elementary. We are especially proud of our 20-year partnership with Borden Ladner Gervais law firm (BLG) and love the weekly reading sessions with the lawyers in our classrooms. We also love the books they bring, and our school library is one of the best in the district thanks to their contributions. Fine Arts opportunities are enriched through school-wide performances, various dance programs such as hip hop with Bugaloo Dance Academy, Queen drama workshops, music for all classes with the Saint James Music Academy and photography and visual arts through Artists in Residence in Schools.

We are proud of the diverse athletic opportunities available to students at Seymour Elementary. Last year the Vancouver Whitecaps sent some of their best players and community coaches to run a soccer academy and lively soccer games take place every recess and lunch. Over 110 students had six weeks of triathlon training with Excelleration Triathlon. In the winter, all classes had skating lessons and time on the ice. Throughout the year we offer basketball, volleyball, lunchtime yoga sessions, cross-country, running, track and field and gymnastics with Gym Sense.

The parental community at Seymour supports all the activities and opportunities available to our students. Our PAC has monthly meetings where we discuss school initiatives and other ways to engage and support our community. As a school we try to offer many opportunities for parents to get involved in our school. By volunteering for field trips or offering support for community events, the parents at Seymour are beginning to become actively involved in the fabric of our unique community.

With deep gratitude and respect, (we/I) (are/am) honoured to be learning and unlearning on the ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) & səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).